Enable breadcrumbs token at /includes/pageheader.html.twig

My Life in Fisher House

For many people, the concept of charities that support the military is purely academic. Even those who have served may never have needed help. But for me and my family, the services rendered by one such charity made a huge and lasting difference in our lives.

This is one of several articles published in our Veterans Focus. To see all articles from the series, please visit www.afcea.org/signal/veteran.asp.

 

Then-Lance. Cpl. Joseph Boland, USMC, holds up his son John born at 2 pounds, 0.9 of an ounce in 2001. The Boland family lived in the Fisher House on Lackland Air Force Base for three months as medical personnel fought successfully to save John’s life.

For many people, the concept of charities that support the military is purely academic. Even those who have served may never have needed help. But for me and my family, the services rendered by one such charity made a huge and lasting difference in our lives.

In 2001, my husband and I, both age 20, found ourselves living at Fisher House on Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, for a total of three months while I and then our baby son were hospitalized at Wilford Hall Medical Center.

We were a young Marine Corps family, thousands of miles from any relatives or friends, when doctors told us in June during a regular checkup that something was seriously wrong with my pregnancy. At the time, we lived in San Angelo, Texas—more than 200 miles away from Lackland—while my husband went through training. As we tried to cope with the devastating news, a wonderful TRICARE representative helped us obtain an appointment at Wilford Hall later that same day. There, experts told us the prognosis was bad and that we should prepare to lose our child. They asked us to return in two weeks, when they would likely have to induce a stillbirth. Through the grace of God, our son was still alive at the next appointment. However, we were told we’d have to come in for monitoring at least twice a day until I would need to be hospitalized full time.

We were preparing to become a family of three on an E-3 salary with rent to pay in San Angelo. Now we needed to find a room in a strange city where neither of us had ever been. We were staying in temporary lodging on base when someone told us about Fisher House. My husband was given a room in one of their houses at no cost on the same day that I was admitted to the hospital full time. He ended up staying at Fisher House for a month alone, and then we stayed there together for another two months while our son, who was born months early and weighed 2 pounds, 0.9 of an ounce, struggled to survive in neonatal intensive care.

Having the financial burden lifted during this time made a tremendous difference for my husband and me. Not only was lodging provided, but food, a library and items such as movies and games also were available. The true blessing of Fisher House, however, is not in its physical offerings. We were living on a base in a town where we didn’t know a single person. Because my husband was still in training, we hadn’t even become a part of the operational military yet; but living in Fisher House gave us a wonderful support system. Group therapy sessions were held regularly for anyone who wished to attend. Employees and volunteers checked in on us frequently. We became familiar with the other residents and their situations. Groups came by at least once a week to cook meals for those of us staying in the houses, to offer supplies or simply to show that for many, the plight of one is the plight of all. We learned that the military we were now a part of includes incredible people. And we returned the favor: We were able to help a mother staying there when her daughter was hospitalized. Because the mother was a civilian, she couldn’t access the base resources or travel onto the base, so we helped her reach places that she needed to go.

We spent almost every minute of our waking hours at the hospital, sometimes taking shifts so we could cover more hours. The physical exhaustion coupled with the emotional stress pressed down upon us. Married less than a year, the kindness and help of these relative strangers helped us hold our family together. Benefits such as a fully stocked kitchen and laundry facilities enabled us to save time and money while taking care of the basic needs that pile up after months away from home.

We were living in Fisher House on 9/11. If there was ever a time when being immersed in the military made a difference, it was then. It’s almost hard to remember now how uncertain those days were; no one knew when another attack might come, and bases were put on THREATCON DELTA. If we had been off post, it could have taken us hours each day to reach the hospital. Instead, we had a one-minute drive or a short walk.

Fisher House was founded by Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher, who lived their lives as strong military supporters, even though Zachary was prevented from serving because of a leg injury. The legacy they left—and the people who carry on their work—are phenomenal. Call them for help if you are ever in a situation where a loved one is in a major military hospital and you need help.

My son is now a healthy 10-year-old, and our deep gratitude to Fisher House remains. I know from experience that it offers a real, immeasurable benefit to the armed forces. To the entire organization, and all those who have helped it over the years, I extend my sincerest thanks from a tiny Marine Corps family in whose life you have made a tremendous difference.