Another Success Story - This one is unbelievable!

Army - Active Duty (injured and on Med Hold)

Married (wife is a diabetic, recently had Open Heart Surgery, is on dialysis, and is on the kidney and pancreas transplant list) Mother-in-law moved into their home and is on SSI (she is using her $1400.00 a month to pay the $875.00 mortgage to save their home) 2 Daughters (12 yr old has a birthday in Feb and was hoping to have a present and her Mom and Dad home, 13yr old is in cancer remission (Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma). They are still paying for medical bills and medicine that Tricare would not pay. This child (due to the cancer treatment) needs some extensive dental work and the dental insurance is capped out for the family.

This story is beyond belief and shows great patriotism, heart and strength from the family. In 2001, the Soldier (then a civilian) took his 401K and put his family into their first home. In 2004, after the impact of the Iraq War hit home, Soldier immediately decided to enlist in the Army to do his part. While in Iraq, Soldier was hit by an IED. He was treated for a concussion and X-rays showed many pieces of shrapnel imbedded in his body. Despite his injuries, the Soldier went back to the line confident he would be able to perform his duties.

Shortly thereafter, he received a Red Cross message to come home due to his wife having emergency surgery. While at the hospital in the US with his wife, the Soldier began to run fever and thought he had the flu. Again, despite his illness and injury, around April 15th, he went back to Iraq. Once back in Iraq he was immediately medivacced to a medical facility. The shrapnel in his body had shifted, there were blood clots in various parts of his body and a staph infection had shut down all his major organs. He was put into a drug-induced coma for several weeks and is now on a lung transplant list. Once able, he was sent to the nearest military installation, which is 120 miles from his home.

The family had already experienced major financial issues the previous winter when their 13yr old daughter was being treated for cancer. Insurance denied some of the treatments, reimbursing the family only $4900 out of a total $9800 medication bill. This is still a financial burden. Thankfully, for numerous reasons, the cancer is now in remission (medicine was $480.00 week). Spouse is also still paying for some of her medical supplies for her diabetes, she has out of pocket expenses not covered by insurance that take $400-$600 a month out of their budget. She
has filed for SSI, however she and her 13yr old have both been denied. A local attorney is working pro-bono for the appeal on both of these family members. The family’s credit is ruined because at one time during this whole ordeal they were paying $1800 a month out of pocket for
travel and medicines not covered by insurance.

Now add the following to the issues. DFAS is taking out $430.00 a month from Soldier’s pay because they did not have him listed as a war injury and they said he was receiving compensation he was not entitled to. Spouse assumed it was overpayment of special pays from Iraq, but they have copies of documents proving that all special pays stopped in April when he was sent to the CO Med Hold.

Spouse applied for USA Cares assistance August 24th. Due to her husbands’ medical needs, communications between this family and the USA Cares office were limited until mid-October. Spouse stated she took the TSGLI information to her social services personnel and they kept putting her off. No one came to this family’s financial aid, however Tom Winks, the local Congressman, did come to the hospital to meet with her. The Congressman had a Congressional opened on the DFAS for the pay issues and also looked into why it was taking so long to get a TSGLI appointment. Spouse was finally able to get an appointment on Sept 20th.

USA Cares’ Board approved $5600 for this family to give them a clean slate as of Oct 1. Additional support from AUSA, Pioneer Services, Operation First Response, and other organizations and individuals helped to get school supplies, clothing, and incidentals for the grandmother and both daughters. Contacts to Military Officials will afford this family extended pharmaceutical and medical care to meet the needs of the three family members who will need consistent care.

It was USA Cares’ "Extreme Exception to Policy" that allowed us the opportunity to link together many organizations and individuals to meet the needs of a family who has truly sacrificed beyond all limits.