Preloading

One Marine's Miraculous Survival Story

Aired on 11/10/2006 | CC
Tyler "Ty" Ziegel had always dreamed of being a soldier, and after graduating from high school, he joined the Marines. In 2004, five months into his second tour in Iraq, Ty's family and fiancée received news that he had been severely injured in a suicide bomb attack, and was fighting for his life. Miraculously, Ty survived severe burn wounds and a shattered skull, but the lasting impact of his injuries meant his life would never be the same. In 2006, six years before he passed away in 2012, Ty came on The Oprah Show along with his mother and now-wife, Renee, to talk about the moments leading up to the bombing, and the strength of his and Renee's love in overcoming this horrific tragedy.