#1 Fan-A Wish Granted

Little boys are notorious for giving their mothers all sorts of grief, and then, when they grow up, it seems as though many of them have a special place in their heart and life for their mothers. One Army Specialist was that boy.   

Growing up with his mom as his #1 fan at all football games and events, nothing changed when he pursued his dream of a career in the Army. Through deployments and training, his mother was there for it all—even when that meant giving up everything to help him through his rehabilitation after sustaining injuries from an IED in 2005. 

A Warm Home - A Wish Granted

Today we share another Wish that was granted to a veteran in upstate New York.  The story surrounding this soldier reminds us how much our service members and their families sacrifice for our country.  When a service member deploys, they leave behind their family, friends and entire life.  A reservist has even more change in their life.  They leave behind another job that many times provides a higher income than their military pay, leaving their family with yet another challenge.

Post 9/11, an Army Reservist was activated and deployed to Iraq.  During his deployment, he was injured in combat and sustained a severe head injury.  This soldier returned home and began the long process of rehabilitation.

As a reservist, this soldier also owned and operated his own business.  During the deployment and long recovery process, he suffered another loss when both his home and business were foreclosed.  Now, he was not only injured physically, but emotionally devastated from the financial impact on his family.

As he slowly recovered, he visited a friend’s farm.  To his surprise, working with the cattle and horses provided this veteran with some much needed healing.  (He is not the first veteran to discover the therapeutic benefits to Equine Therapy and working with animals.)

To continue his rehabilitation, the family purchased an old Amish property in upstate New York with the plan to turn the property into a cattle ranch.  However, the farm and farm house required additional work.

Siding work being completed

The Farmer-Veteran Coalition stepped forward to help fund the cattle business for the family.  However, it was beyond their mission to finance work that needed to be done to the farm house.  Winters in upstate New York are frigid and without proper siding, this veteran and his family would suffer throughout the season.

Hope For The Warriors® was contacted to assist this veteran and his family by paying for the siding to the old farm house.  Through our A Warrior’s Wish® program, we granted his Wish so that this family could be together in a warm home.

True to the values of our military members, this veteran has already started giving back to others.  He has invited local veterans in his area to the farm so they too can benefit from working with livestock. In the future, he plans to host an Equine Therapy program on his farm, helping veterans to overcome their visible and invisible wounds.

Hope For The Warriors® was proud to work in cooperation with three nonprofit organizations to grant this Wish and support this American hero.  We were greatly helped by Michael Banker, our project manager, and his organization, HONORS.  Of course, we have already mentioned the Farmer-Veteran Coalition who has helped this family build a productive farm.  Finally, the support for this Wish was provided by the Bob Woodruff Foundation. 

Showering our Veterans with Support - A Wish Granted

One of my favorite programs within Hope For The Warriors® is our A Warrior's Wish® program.  Through this program, we have the opportunity to support our service members, veterans and their families by granting a Wish. 

I love to read the Wish applications and imagine how granting this Wish will impact the service member's life.  Our website states:
A Warrior's Wish® supports the long-term goal of hope beyond recovery. These Wishes fulfill a desire for a better quality of life or support a quest for life-gratifying endeavors. Knowing that wishes can come true directly affects service members' spirits in addition to the families and communities that support them.

The Wish I share today has definitely improved the quality of life for one veteran and his wife.  By granting this Wish, we have saved this couple from a 45-minute drive, each way, for something as basic as taking a shower!

This month we completed a Wish for a couple in Missouri.  In 2004, he was deployed to Iraq with the Navy Seabees.  While our warrior stood on a ladder and performed a security sweep, his unit came under fire, causing him to plummet to the ground.  The fall resulted in severe head trauma and back injuries in additional to post-traumatic stress disorder.

He retired in August 2005 after more than 30 years of service and although he is able to walk with a cane, struggles with his mobility.  Their home had a bathtub/shower combination and he could not shower without assistance from his wife.  Even with her help, he suffered several falls.  This autumn, the couple decided that using the shower was too dangerous for him.  Three times per week, the couple would drive 45 minutes each way to the YMCA in the closest city to take a shower. 

Bathtub/shower that was unsafe for our warrior

The couple turned to Hope For The Warriors® with the Wish to have their bathroom renovated to include a safer shower. We very easily approved this Wish!

New safer shower that includes a handle bar

To read more Wish stories, visit our A Warrior'sWish® webpage.