A disabled 10-year-old in Texas has big dreams of someday serving his country.
Diego Mercado was born with only one leg and only two fingers on his right hand.
He has a simple philosophy that has resonated with wounded veterans: “Inspire or be crushed!”
Diego has always known he is a little different, but he refuses to let it stop him from achieving his dreams of someday becoming a United States serviceman.
In his free time, he even trains with veterans, pushing himself to get stronger every day.
"Over time, kids would say, 'You're a robot,' so when he saw a wounded veteran with the same type of prosthetic, it was like he was inspired," Diego's dad, Jason Mercado, an active-duty Army officer, told KENS.
According to the Team Diego website, Diego first realized his dream when he was 6 years old. He was watching the Ride2Recovery race that passed through Fort Hood, Texas. He noticed some of the veterans in the race only had one leg, just like him.
Ever since, Diego and his dad have competed in 5K races to support nonprofits for wounded veterans and kids with special needs.
Wanting to make even more of a change, Diego and his dad started their own nonprofit, Team Diego. The organization provides help to other warriors and kids in need.
If you would like to donate to Team Diego, click here.
To follow Diego's story, check out the Team Diego Facebook page.
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