SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- If there's a common thread shared by Sgt. Luis Falcon's nieces and nephews, it's that they all look up to him.

Niece Mayra Falcon said, "He inspires me a lot. I want to be just like him."

Nephew Ryan Luis Falcon said, "He's a great person, and I love him with all my heart, and I want to be just like him when I grow up."

Nephew Lamont Washington said, "We look at him as something greater, and we all want to be like him. He's a great inspiration for us."

Now, you can add 11-year-old Shahad Abbas to that list.

Sgt. Falcon was patrolling the streets north of Baghdad when he saw Shahad in an old wheelchair, her legs cut off below the knee.

For six months he forged a friendship with the girl, bringing her toys, gauze for her legs, and even buying her a new wheelchair.

But right before Christmas, he asked her what the one thing was that would really make her happy.

Washington said, "He's like, what do you want? Anything you want in this world. And she's like, I want legs, I want to walk. And he said, okay, it's done."

Sergeant Falcon's mother, Maria Falcon said, "He was expecting her to ask for a toy, and that he was willing to give, and she said the only thing I want is my legs to go to school."

It took six long months of phone calls and persuasion to get the supplies, money and time to get Shahad the new legs, and it wasn't an easy road.

Washington said, "He even threatened to leave the Army if they didn't do that for this little girl."

Shahad was fitted for the prosthetics just three weeks before Sgt. Falcon was scheduled to leave Baghdad, and she was a little hesitant taking her first steps on the new legs.

Maria Falcon said, "He says, come to me, give me a hug, walk to me, and she was scared, but she walked over to him! It's amazing what he did, and I love him so much. I'm so proud of him."

Sgt. Falcon is scheduled to leave Iraq within the week. He should be back in Saratoga by August.