HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- She was surrounded by death during her time as a member of the Joint Mortuary Affairs Center at Fort Lee. Veteran Teresa Lee was part of a team responsible for the bodies military men and women who died serving their country. But nothing could prepare Lee for the news she received earlier this month when she learned her son Quentin, 22, had been shot and was near death.
"I received a phone call that said he had been shot twice and he was at the trauma hospital in Atlanta," she recalled. "I waited patiently for an update while I searched for flights that would get me there as soon as possible."
Quentin and Terasa Lee
Quentin was shot outside Club Quad in Atlanta on August 2. Earlier inside the club, he had been involved in a scuffle with strangers. Teresa Lee said she believed the person who shot her son, and another man, on the street that morning was connected to the people inside the club. Atlanta Police have not yet made an arrest in the shooting.
"Quentin is an awesome young man with a huge heart," Teresa Lee said. "We are clinging to our faith to bring us through this senseless act of violence. We are praying that he continues to get stronger."
While Quentin survived the shooting, he lost his kidney, spleen and part of his pancreas, his mother said. The bullet hit his vertebrae which left him paralyzed from his waist down. He is currently in rehab at an Atlanta-area hospital.
Quentin Lee
"It's a miracle that he's even here, so we keep praying and expecting more miracles to happen. There's no doubt he's here for a reason and he has a purpose," his mother said.
Teresa Lee set-up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help offset the costs of renovating her home to accommodate Quentin and his wheelchair once he is able to leave Atlanta and return home to Central Virginia.
"The doorways need to be widen, the bathroom renovated to be wheelchair accessible and a ramp or lift chair to allow him to go outside and to his appointments," she said. "Some accommodations will need to be made for transportation, but I'm not sure what that's going to be yet. We need all the help we can get, financially and volunteers to help when he's back home at the end of September and information as to who to contact for assistance."
Quentin, who grew up in Prince George County while his mother was stationed at Fort Lee, moved to Atlanta to begin a career as an audio engineer. While the shooting has derailed those immediate plans, Teresa said he remained thankful to those who have helped so far.
"We know the road is long and the rehabilitation will be intense, but ultimately it's in Gods hands," she said.
