At the American Red Cross, I’ve seen veterans, service members, and their families touched by animals in so many ways. Recently, I had the pleasure of connecting with Air Force veteran Dan Brusseau and his wife, Kathie, to discuss two things they love—dogs and giving back to the community.
Today, our nation is facing a severe blood shortage as hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits. Across the country, there’s a great hospital demand for blood. Part of the reason for this strong demand is because patients who previously delayed care and surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic are now experiencing advanced disease progression and seeking medical treatment. This type of advanced care can require even more blood transfusions.
To be honest, I didn’t know I was a caregiver. My husband is a combat-wounded Marine, and he was going through the military treatment facilities and then the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Pendleton. Even during that time, I still did not realize that I was a caregiver – or that I would be for the rest of my husband’s life. It wasn’t until one day when I was in the waiting room at Balboa Naval Hospital and a lovely nurse asked me the question. She came out and asked, “Are you Stephen’s caregiver?” I quickly pulled back and brushed that off by saying “No, no, my husband is young, I’m just his wife.” Diplomatic and full of wisdom, she smiled at me and said, “You are probably both.”
Resilience. We’ve all heard this word. Each military branch offers resiliency training, there are courses to build resilience, and it is a popular topic as we try to navigate the numerous stressful events and experiences that dot each of our lives.
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904