Tonight I would like to tell you about a book that I just
finished reading. Unlike most of the books I read, this one isn’t fiction. Also
unlike most of the stories I read, I already knew the ending to most of the
chapters. It was like reading the conclusion of a story first and then going
back and finding out how the characters got to that point, except the
characters in this book are real people, many of whom I have met and see on a
regular basis. This book is about ten of the “Mighty Moms” of Walter Reed and
their wounded sons and daughter.
Their stories and my own are different in perspective, and
each wounded warrior and his/her family have a different story to tell, but
there are many similarities. For them, it was an adult son or daughter that was
injured; for me it was my husband. For them, they had to leave behind jobs,
spouses, and often, other children that were/are still at home so that they
could care for their wounded child. For me, the life I once lived no longer
exists. I had to leave my young son (age 3 ½ when his daddy was injured) with
family for a while so that I could take care of Justin’s needs when he was
inpatient. For many of them, they both cared for their wounded adult child and
a younger child or grandchild. For me, I cared for my injured husband and my
young son once Justin was released to outpatient care. We all received that
horrible call that our loved one was injured. For them it was from the
military; for me, Justin was able to call and tell me himself. He was not quite
in as critical condition as the ones in the book. One thing we all have in
common – the reason we all ended up at Walter Reed – is that someone we love
needed us, and we came. None of us truly knew what we were getting into when we
boarded the plane or jumped in the car to travel to Walter Reed, but it didn’t
matter. What mattered was getting here and seeing our loved ones. We’ve
experienced similar highs and lows, progress and setbacks. We’ve lived in the
same building and have sat in appointments with many of the same doctors. We’ve
also all been helped in some way by some of the many non-profit organizations (and
most of us were at the Semper Fi Fund/America’s Fund sponsored Ladies Night Out
a few nights ago).
Most of the wounded men (the one injured woman was gone
before we arrived) that were in the book are either still at Walter Reed or
were here at some point since we’ve been here, so I’ve seen them mobile, for
some, that means walking, for others, it’s in a wheelchair. I’ve seen them
alive and doing relatively well. I didn’t know them before their injuries, and
I didn’t know them when things were at their worst, so it was interesting to
read the book and learn more about, not just their stories, but how their
stories touched their families. What their families went through when they
received the call that their loved one was injured.
I would encourage you, my friends and family, to read
this book. Read the stories of these injured men and woman and their amazing
mothers and keep them all in your thoughts and prayers. Many are still at Walter
Reed recovering from their injuries and working toward their “new normal”.
Others have been released and medically retired and in the next chapter of
their lives – living with their injuries outside of the hospital setting and
their mothers transitioning from 24/7 caretaker to whatever role is needed and
rejoining the rest of their families. It’s not an easy life, but even in the
difficulties, there are many blessings and the stories of these men and women
show that just as my family’s story does. Injuries aren’t the end, they’re just
the beginning of a very different chapter.
Here are links to purchase the book from Amazon or Barnes
and Noble:
Here are some of the Facebook pages that I could find if you
would like to follow the continued progress and show your support for the
wounded service members and their families:
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