Sgt Franz Walkup was shot five times in an ambush in Afghanistan, survived 78 surgeries and was awarded a Purple Heart - but in the eyes of non-profit groups he is not disabled enough to qualify for financial aid to build a handicapped-accessible home.

'It's hard because it kind of feels like, my sacrifice wasn't great enough,' Walkup told WUSA.

On September 29, 2012, Walkup, a fire support specialist with 2/503rd infantry, 173rd airborne, and his unit were on patrol to an Afghan National Army checkpoint in the Tangi Valley when Afghani soldiers turned on them and opened fire.

Walkup was struck five times - four shots to the lower stomach with a ricochet round to his left leg, and one shot to the back.

The hail of bullets unleashed by the Afghans that Walkup and his unit had been training left him with laundry-list of devastating injuries: a shattered pelvis, damaged spleen and large intestine, and loss of all function in his right leg below the knee.

Franz Walkup spent six months receiving treatment and recuperating at Walter Reed Medical Center, where he had to re-learn how to walk on crutches and sit up on his own.

After surviving dozens of surgeries and a bout with a dangerous infection, Walkup was released from the hospital in early 2013.

With his life no longer at risk, Franz and his wife, Shannon, began adjusting to their new reality in which the wounded veteran would require special accommodations to get around.

The young couple have applied for financial assistance to build a handicapped-accessible home in Woodbury, but at least five non-profit groups turned them down.

'They act like getting shot five times wasn't enough, because he didn't step on an IED, 'said Shannon Walkup. 'You didn't lose extremities.'

Franz Walkup has both his legs physically intact, but his right leg does not work.

'I fit into that gray area where I have the loss of the limb, but I still have my limb,' he explained.

Walkup comes from a proud military family. His grandfather, who passed away only last week, had served in the US Air Force and in the Marines.
Franz himself is one of four brothers who have dedicated their lives to military service. His older brother Frank was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb in 2007. He was only 23 years old,

Franz and Shannon got married in 2012, not long before the soldier shipped out to Afghanistan to help train the national army.
The couple now live in Tennessee with their two dogs.

Franz and Shannon say that all they need is a small three-bedroom home with 36-inch doors to accommodate Walkup's wheelchair.

After having been denied aid by aid group, the Walkups applied for a grant from the much-maligned US Veterans Administration, but not surprisingly, they have been told that there is a massive backlog.

The VA has made international headlines when it was revealed earlier this year that veterans have been denied medical treatment due to mismanagement and red tape, possibly resulting in multiple deaths.
To help promote their cause, the Walkups have started an online fundraiser on GoFundMe in hopes of collecting $50,000 toward a wheelchair-accessible home.

The couple also have been spreading the word about Franz's plight through the Facebook page Staying Strong for Franz Walkup, which as of Monday evening had more than 6,100 supporters.