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Behind the ‘hero’
Inspired by her husband, a woman learns to walk on the edge
Sanne Godfrey
The Advocate
On June 13, 2004, Kevin Pannell was seriously injured while serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq. He lost both of his legs during a grenade ambush that day. Over the next 44 days, he underwent 22 surgeries before being fitted with prosthetic legs.
On that same day, Danielle Bates was living 7,000 miles away in Arkansas — and was unaware her life was going to change forever.
Danielle didn’t meet Kevin until April 2006. “The first time I met Kevin I honestly thought, ‘Wow, he must have been in a drunk driving accident.’ I know that sounds weird but ‘war-hero’ never came to mind,” said Danielle. She met him at a mall in Arkansas where she worked as a hairdresser. “My second thought was ‘this is my future husband.’ I knew I was going to marry him and I just wanted to get to know him more.”
Kevin and Danielle officially became Mr. and Mrs. Pannell on June 20, 2007.
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Danielle and Kevin both enrolled at Mt. Hood Community College this quarter and Danielle became the Associated Student Government (ASG) director of state and federal affairs. But this was not her first venture into politics and community activism.
About a year-and-a-half ago, Danielle founded the non-profit organization Behind the Hero. Danielle said she formed the organization after dealing with
“PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other behavioral changes in Kevin.” She said, “I felt so alone and felt no one would know what I was going through, until I met other wives who had experienced the same thing I had and who I got to watch interact with their husbands in the same way I did.”
Danielle said Behind the Hero “educates women on what to expect when their ‘hero’ comes home and is injured. The divorce rate is so high among injured soldiers and their wives because they just don’t know how to handle these physical and emotional changes. I want to help these women and be an ear for their issues.”
To fund the non-profit organization, Danielle went to Washington, D.C., to lobby for money. This got her interested in politics; even though she did not have a lot of experience, she thought it was “really fascinating.”
Applying for a position in student government at MHCC seemed a natural progression for Danielle.
“I became a member of ASG to work for the students,” she said. “I want to be the person that students feel comfortable coming to and discussing problems, positives and concerns they may have with MHCC. Being the director of state and federal affairs, I get the privilege of lobbying at the Capitol on behalf of students and to see my efforts come through by funds coming through for education or for bills being passed that benefit students would be the most amazing accomplishment.”
ASG President Janine Johnston said, “She (Danielle) frequently welcomes other ASG members into her home to work on classwork, additional ASG initiatives or to just hang out. Danielle, (who) used to be a hairdresser, has also welcomed friends into her home for hair ‘makeovers.’ It was on one of those occasions that I met her husband, Kevin. I have also gotten to interact with him in the ASG office and on campus, as he is a part of the forensics team and frequently in the College Center.”
Speech and forensics instructor Shannon Valdivia said, “I met Kevin as a student in my public speaking class and as a competitor on my forensics team. I met Danielle through students who are involved in ASG. I probably don’t see them together as much as others do. But when I do, I find them to be an affectionate couple who respect each other greatly and believe in one another.”
Johnston added, “Danielle and Kevin are a lot of fun to be around together. They are constantly providing humor and they lighten almost any mood.”
Kevin lives a very active life. Aside from being a full-time student at Mt. Hood Community College and being a member of the Wildside club and the forensics team, he is also the adaptive sports program director for the Oregon Active Foundation. Kevin said he wants to help people with disabilities overcome their personal boundaries. “They don’t know what reality is until they try it,” said Kevin about working with people with disabilities.
Danielle added, “He (Kevin) doesn’t want to let anybody down.” Danielle attends certain events, but “nothing too dangerous,” she said. She participates in activities such as paintball and night golf.
“I don’t even remember my life before Kevin,” Danielle said. “I have learned to be more patient and walk a little slower, to enjoy life and to not take anything for granted. He has shown me life’s adventures and how to walk on the edge.”