Parker, Colorado (CNN) -- When the sniper's bullet hit his neck, Staff Sgt. Matthew Keil nearly blacked out. "I had heard the gunshot, and it felt like someone had kicked me right in the back. A ton of bricks swung and hit me in the back, and I fell," he said. "I couldn't feel my body. I could only feel my head, and it felt like I was floating." He was on a rooftop in Ramadi, Iraq, leading a nine-man squad. His men rushed to his aid, stopped the bleeding and then strapped him to a stretcher to evacuate him.
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A sniper's bullet in Iraq left Staff Sgt. Matthew Keil paralyzed
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His wife, Tracy, works around the clock to care for him
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They are waiting for a law that will provide money and training for wounded vets' caregivers
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Until the law takes effect, Tracy says "it's like I'm working for the VA for free"
Down, but not out, they set about building a new life: Months of physical therapy and rehab, then back to @placeholder.
She longed for support and to be recognized for her role as @placeholder's caregiver.