We recently had the opportunity to assist the parent/caregivers of two wounded veterans travel to visit each other. Shirley shared the story of how she and Nancy became friends and we want to share this glimpse into the lives of two caregiving families who have provided mutual support through the years.
“We would like to say thanks to everyone who made our trip to Minnesota possible. We really enjoyed our trip and we were so excited to see our friends that we met at Walter Reed almost 10 years ago. I’ll never forget my first day at Walter Reed when I met my friend, Nancy. I was walking down the hall and this sweet, caring lady looked at me and said that she hoped my son would be alright. I looked at her and said thanks, but I was thinking how does she know anything about him. Nancy’s son had been hurt two days before my son. My husband had been talking to their family in the waiting room while our kids were in surgery. Nancy and I did the night shift with our sons and we would meet in the morning and joke about how nice we looked (ha ha!) After spending many nights in the hospital, we formed a special friendship that has lasted all these years. We have always talked about visiting each other but just couldn’t seem to work it out. Nancy actually lost her job because she stayed so long with her son at Walter Reed. It was hard for all of us financially and some struggled more than others to recover.
Nancy has helped me so much over the years. She has always been that person that I can call and she knows where I’m coming from and is always there for me. Her son needs prayers to be able to use his one hand to do what he loves best and that is fishing and hunting. It is amazing what he can do.
Thanks again for the opportunity that we had to go on a much needed vacation! Special thanks to our FSC for helping us out so much and for everything she does to help families.
Special thanks to all of you!!”