During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, over 1600 men and women lost hands, arms, legs, and feet in battle.

For nearly a decade, Adele Levine and Etaine Raphael worked side by side to ensure those soldiers would be able to navigate life after their injuries. The two women were civilian physical therapists at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the Washington, D.C. area.

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Both Etaine and Adele left Walter Reed in 2014. Today, Adele continues work as a physical therapist at a Maryland hospital, while Etaine has found new work as a preschool teacher.

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Top photo: Etaine Raphael and Adele Levine at their StoryCorps interview in Washington, D.C. on September 19, 2016. 
Middle photo: Adele Levine at work with a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Courtesy of Kyla Dunleavy.
Bottom photo: Adele Levine and Etaine Raphael pose with a physical therapy patient, Rob Jones, who they helped rehabilitate. Jones lost both legs in Afghanistan but went on to compete in the Paralympics for rowing. Courtesy of Etaine Raphael.

Originally aired May 25, 2018, on NPR’s Morning Edition.