Bravo Zulu – From Near Tragedy, to 'Hope' Through Golf

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By Rich O'Brien, Operations Director, PGA HOPE Charleston 
Author of Half Paralyzed, Twice Strong



A little over two years ago, I received an email from a Coast Guard Veteran by the name of Sean Shrum who had heard about the great work being done by PGA HOPE Charleston from other Veterans and wanted to volunteer to help. Within a few minutes, I called him and I believe that our conversation that day will remain etched in our memories for the rest of our lives. 

Sean Shrum was born in Canton, Ohio but grew up in several cities in Ohio and Wisconsin before graduating from Science Hill High School, in Johnson City, TN in 1978. When he was a boy, the family was boating on Lake Erie when their boat hit something and began taking on water. After the Coast Guard came and saved the day, Sean's dream was to join the U.S. Coast Guard; he felt it was his calling. In fact, he signed up for the Coast Guard prior to his senior year in high school via the delayed entry program. During his 22 year Coast Guard career, Sean was stationed in Charleston for 15 years. He was also stationed in Grand Isle, LA, and St. Louis, MO. He rose to the rank of BM1-E-6 before retiring from active duty in 2001.  

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Shortly after that, Sean started caddying at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, SC, and even worked the Warburg Cup where he became friends with fellow Hooligan, Arnold Palmer. 

In 2004, Sean returned to the Coast Guard as a Civilian Search and Rescue Controller for Sector Charleston, SC. In 2010, he was promoted to the Lead Command Center Controller. He also serves as the Training Officer for the Command Center, is certified as a Command Duty Officer, as well as Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, and as such, oversees the execution of Search and Rescue cases. In 2015, he was promoted to Honorary Chief in recognition of his leadership and commitment to the Coast Guard. 

On the afternoon of September 25th, 2008, Sean was the Command Duty Officer when a call came into the Coast Guard to transport a critically injured individual from Cassique Golf Course to the Medical University of South Carolina in downtown Charleston. The EMTs had revived the individual a number of times, given him a paralytic, and placed him in an induced coma with the hope of keeping him alive, reducing paralysis, and saving his brain. The prognosis was VERY bleak. When the life flight was not available, an emergency call came into the Coast Guard Command Center for an agency assist. Luckily for the critically injured individual, Cassique is located only a few miles away from the Executive Airport on Johns Island where the Coast Guard Helicopter is stationed and Sean knew exactly where Cassique was located. 

This brings us back to my phone call with Sean a little over two years ago. As I spoke to him, I thanked him for his service and told him that I owed a special debt of gratitude to the Coast Guard for their medevac of me from Cassique to MUSC after my accident. In that instant, the hair stood up on the back of Sean's neck because he remembered that call to Cassique. When he told me that he was the Command Duty Officer that day and had dispatched the Medevac to rescue me, the hair on the back of my neck also stood up. I realized that I was talking to one of the people that helped save my life that fateful day.  

On September 25, 2008, with the help of the EMTs, Coast Guard, MUSC's Neurological ICU staff, and the grace of God, I survived against all odds, eventually came out of my coma, learned to walk and talk again, and began my long road to recovery that would eventually lead to HOPE.

Following my nearly four-year recovery, I was able to mentor Fred Gutierrez, a Navy Veteran. Together we wrote the book Half Paralyzed, Twice Strong which Al Tays of Golf Channel called "the most inspirational golf story in forty years." PGA REACH then asked Fred and me to champion a PGA HOPE Chapter in Charleston. Over the past six years, our chapter has become the largest chapter and model for the PGA's flagship military outreach.

When Sean and I spoke that day, he learned that he had unknowingly played a big role in getting the program started. A few weeks after that phone call, Sean joined us for the PGA HOPE clinics at the Links at Stono Ferry. It was after one of those clinics that Sean and I had the opportunity to sit down, share a beverage, and talk about our unique bond. I also presented Sean with a signed copy of Half Paralyzed, Twice Strong and inscribed it with a special message of gratitude for Sean and the Coast Guard for their role in saving my life.

Sean recently told me, “Having been involved in hundreds, if not thousands of Search and Rescue cases in almost 40 years of service, either in the early days of my active duty career when I was running small boats and doing the actual searching and rescuing, or later doing the job of taking the calls, dispatching assets and doing the search planning. I'm extremely honored, proud, and humbled to know that because of the actions of the team in the Command Center, the helicopter crew, through our training and commitment to the people of this great nation that we serve, that we were able to play a part in, saving the life of Rich O'Brien. It's an amazing story that set into motion this great program called the PGA HOPE, that we all cherish for its service to the Veterans and the good it does for those that it helps with this wonderful thing called Golf Therapy."

Sean adds, "As someone who has been involved in military organizations for forty years, I would like to let other Veterans know that one of the best things that they can do is get involved with PGA HOPE. You will meet some great Veterans and have a great time. This program is amazing and I'm proud to be a part of the Charleston Chapter of PGA HOPE and I will always remain "Semper Paratus." 

On a personal note, I would like to add thank you and “Bravo Zulu” for a job well done.

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Rich O'Brien is the Operations Manager for PGA HOPE (Charleston) and author of the recently published "Half Paralyzed, Twice Strong" which is available in paperback and on Kindle.

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