Known for his issues with substance abuse and off-the-wall antics, Charlie Sheen is oddly making news for a good deed. The actor recently wired $10,000 to help a teen girl overcome the injuries she endured after plummeting 100 feet from an amusement park ride in Wisconsin.
Teagan Marti, a 15-year-old from Florida, received the money for a therapy dog to help in her rehabilitation. "I think he's a very kind person for helping me and my family and very generous," Teagan Marti said on Thursday.
After a free-fall ride malfunctioned at Extreme World in July of 2010, she suffered brain, spine, pelvis and internal injuries. She initially had no use of her arms or legs and was hospitalized in Wisconsin and Florida for three months. Through physical therapy she has learned how to walk again with a walker. Though she's making progress, Marti's mother said they are swamped by medical bills and are on the verge of losing their house to foreclosure. As a result, getting a therapy dog was out of the question. "I'm in such disbelief," said Julie Marti, speaking of the English Golden Retriever puppy that Sheen donated. "I was crying. ... What a guy. What a guy." The dog is being trained in Fond du Lac to turn on lights, pick up objects and be the teen's constant companion.
After hearing about the dog through his godfather, Sheen generously sent $10,000 to the Marti family although the pup only cost $6000. "If there's a need for more I told them to call me," he said. "I like to pay it forward," Sheen said on Thursday from Los Angeles. "People come into your orbit for a reason. You don't always know what that is ahead of time, but if I ignore these requests then I don't have any opportunity to see where these things lead us, or lead me." Sheen added that he doesn't normally publicize his donations but wanted to talk about this one to inspire others to donate.