CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 31 NOV. 3 - 13 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT CFRT.ORG or 910.323.4233 FEATURING Marc de la Concha (CFRT's Shrek & Clue) AND Jonathan Judge-Russo (CFRT's Music City) T he pain never really goes away. Former Fort Bragg soldier Kurt Ballash says he hurts on a daily basis from an injury he suffered while overseas in 2016. Aer a couple of years working on a contract basis as a medic with the U.S. Department of State, he returned home aer falling off the top of a vehicle. He landed flat on his back with all his body armor on. e fall dislodged his vertebrae, compounding an earlier back injury he suffered while serving in the military. He says his spine "came down a little bit," causing an impingement. With every breath, he says, it felt like someone had plunged an icepick into his ribs, sending an electrical stimulation to his sternum. "It made it really hard for me to breathe," Ballash says. "e pain would get so bad I would just sit there on the couch and cry." His wife, Jamie, tried to be supportive, but there was little she could do to ease his suffering. She urged her husband to return to his love of woodworking that had been nurtured by his grandfather and father. Today — two years aer Jamie's death from a heart attack — Ballash's wife remains a strong influence on his path aer military service and employment overseas as a contractor. "She was a driving force from behind it," says Steve Chadduck, who took up leatherwork aer his own Army tenure and is the owner of Spartan Customs, which shares a building with Ballash's woodworking shop in the Cedar Creek community on the outskirts of Fayetteville. "He had a vision of sorts," says Chadduck, 49. "Even now, she is still driving him. Even down to his logo: She designed that logo. "It'll get you. It'll move you to tears," he says, removing his glasses and wiping his eyes. Because of his injuries, Ballash says, he was deemed unable to return to the battlefield. "So, I lost my entire identity as to who I was," he says. "I was a powerlier; I was a respected tactical medic in my field. e injuries I sustained were interfering with my ability to be a combat asset. My hands would start going numb, and I couldn't feel my trigger finger. If I was on the battlefield like that and I couldn't feel my trigger finger anymore, it's only a matter of time before Welcome to the First Presbyterian Family! Where we share the Gospel and serve Jesus Christ Christ Centered Mission Focused Warm Traditional Worship Welcoming Congregation Loving Fellowship Children & Youth Programs Lifetime Learning Historic Downtown Location FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 102 ANN STREET, FAYETTEVILLE, NC www.firstprez.com | (910) 483-0121 How does it feel to be a part of this congregation? Experience compassionate relationships in a loving community built on a biblical foundation. Join in mission opportunities, grow in your faith and become immersed in heartfelt worship. We hope you will visit & check it out for yourself. FOR SPECIAL FAMILY EVENTS VISIT FIRSTPREZ.COM Worship with us this Holiday Season Sundays at 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

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