If you want to help a soldier in need, here's your opportunity

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A soldier and a hero in need of your help.

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Patrick Sowers Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 10:06 AM

To all members, sponsors and supporters of U.S. soldiers; we have a soldier in need.





Operation Once in a lifetime,

I am hoping you can make another wish come true. My husband, an active duty U.S. Army Soldier, and I are seeking assistance paying our mortgage. I had to leave my job to care for my husband who was injured in April 07, I still have not been able to return to work as I care for him. He has started his MEB process, I don't know when I can return back to work, the past 2 years have financially hurt us and we our 1 month past on mortgage and are struggling each month. My husband's rank is E7, Army, stationed at Fort Carson, CO. My husband was deployed to Iraq Sep06 and injured on April15,07. He was hit with a mortar round while going out on patrol; he suffered a shattered femur, hip, pelvis, back, TBI and PTSD. He was medivac to BAMC, spent 6 months inpatient then transferred back to Colorado as a at home patient, a certified nurse was assigned to my husband to do wound care on his open leg wound after having 15 surgeries at BAMC, he had a femur rod and 3 pins/screws put in his femur and hip. I also did IV antibiotics for an additional 4 months at home.

He was in a wheel chair for 16 months, he had 3 infections in his leg; his leg infections went dormant after the 10 months because of the IV's however his leg became infected again as a result of our current military installation not following his medical plan from BAMC, he had Emergency surgery to remove all the leg hardware and a clean out, went back on IV antibiotics and bed ridden for 5 months, I again did wound care, IV's and he was in a wheelchair. All of his medical care has been transferred to the University of Colorado in Denver which is 200 miles round trip for us, the Army did not play for travel for all his medical appointments which were 3x a week for the first year.

He now is walking with assistive devise and the infection is now in his bones, he has Osteomylitis of the femur, hip, pelvis. His care plan is that he will have his leg amputated in the years to come as he will never get rid of the Chronis bone infection. He also is in current medical treatment with Nuero and mental health for TBI and PTSD. His memory is not well, he forgets a lot. We are very blessed that he does not have the anger, rage and bad effects of TBI and PTSD at this time. I lost my 9 year government job after exhausted my 16 months on medical leave as I needed to be home to help care for him and continue to care for him and his disabilities. He is pending a MEB after serving 17 years in the military and it is a scary process as finances are concerned.

This additional information maybe more than you need but my husbands father went through a kidney transplant early June at the Mayo Hospital in Rochester, MN. His father is still in the hospital after major complications. He first developed Pancreatitis, then infection in abdomen, he had 2 heart attacks and then put on a ventilate and ICU, he has formed Sepsis now (infection in blood stream), his immune system in very low, has had another heart attack and remains on a ventilator in ICU. We had to get my husband there a few weeks ago to see him as his mother called crying and said he needed to come, so the expense of airfare, lodging and meals was a huge expense for 2 weeks for that. My husband's parents reside in Edgemont, SD, but they are in Rochester, MN for this original transplant and long care. My husband will have to return to Rochester mid Aug, using his leave to stay with his father, as his mother has to return home to go back to work as she is a school teacher.

We feel committed to help care for his parents and do what we can, as when my husband was injured his mother came for 2 weeks when he was in BAMC hospitalized and had made many trips to us in CO to help out with kids during my husband's additional surgeries he required.

So I just wanted to fill you in more as to why this assistance would help us so much, also with my husband doing a MEB, we know that is scary in itself.

Thanks, Tina Henderson

Thank you, Tina



If you would like to help this soldier please follow the link below and donate today. Remember all donations are tax deductible, thank you for supporting your troops.

http://operationonceinalifetime.com/wp-content/themes/opsol/Give.php

Donate my mail:

Operation Once in a Lifetime

PO Box 797052
Dallas, TX 75379




Patrick Sowers (SGT)
Founder, Father, Soldier
254-289-3057
PO Box 797052
Dallas, TX 75379
www.operationonceinalifetime.com
"We make Soldiers Dreams come True"