This Veterans Day, Thank a Milspouse
Editor’s note: This post is sponsored by The Fisher House Foundation.
A family’s love is the best medicine. That is what my great-uncle Zachary always believed, and it’s a phrase I hold near and dear to my heart. Zach Fisher and his wife, Elizabeth, created Fisher House Foundation when they saw the need for our heroes to have family nearby while undergoing medical treatments at VA hospitals and military installations far from home. Today, we have 86 comfort homes across the country and overseas that house military families at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. Through my role as chairman and CEO of Fisher House, every day I see the important role family and spouses play in healing and recovery.
Take Minie Curry, wife to former Army Sgt. Anson Curry, for example. Minie has not only taken the role of spouse and parent, but also the role as caregiver for her husband. While serving in Afghanistan, a grenade exploded in Anson’s bunker, leaving him with severe and permanent brain injuries and requiring around-the-clock care. While Anson was receiving treatment, Minie and her children, two of whom have special needs of their own, were able to stay in the Palo Alto Fisher House for nine months and travel using our Hero Miles program, a unique program that allows individuals to donate unused air miles so families can travel to be with their loved one during treatment, free of cost. Today, Anson’s schedule requires administering 16 drugs a day, bathing, feeding, and rotating him several times a night, but Minie wouldn’t change her role for the world.
Cassandra Reynolds, spouse of Will Reynolds, a retired Army captain and Invictus Games competitor, is another powerful testament to the healing power of family. Cassandra and Will’s family were able to use Fisher House services after Will was injured in an improvised explosive device explosion. Throughout Will’s 26 surgeries and eventual amputation of his left leg, Cassandra was able to be by his side using our Hero Miles program. Will attributes his recovery to his family’s support and encouragement.
At Fisher House, we believe in thanking not only our active-duty service members and military veterans, but the spouses, the parents, the children, and the family members that also serve by supporting their loved one. Military spouses are a living testament to the phrase “in sickness and in health.” I thank you today, and every day, for your service as a military spouse.
We are grateful to Suave, which has supported our efforts at Fisher House for two consecutive years. This year in particular, they have helped raise funds for our Hero Miles program by tapping into the power of social media to generate engagement among consumers to retweet about Fisher House with a goal to generate a total of 1 million air miles through 10,000 retweets. I am humbled to see that in just over two weeks, Suave reached their goal to donate 1 million miles and, due to the overwhelming support from online users across the country, decided to double their donation to Hero Miles.
Lastly, I thank Army Wife Network for creating this online community for spouses from all over the world to care for each other. The spouses and families are the backbone of our service members that we are so proud to serve. Tracing back to my roots, I know that my great-uncle Zach would be proud that we have continued his great legacy and that this great network of support for military families has expanded in ways he couldn’t even imagine.
Kenneth “Ken” Fisher is a business leader and philanthropist with a passion for serving those who have served our country. In his role as Chairman and CEO of The Fisher House Foundation, he carries on the legacy of his Great Uncle, Zachary Fisher, and oversees a network of 77 Fisher Houses throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Fisher Houses are a home away from home for the families of service members and veterans who are being treated for an illness or injury far from home. Over the years, the Foundation has provided more than 8 million nights of lodging for military families and on any given night, more than 1,000 families are sleeping at a Fisher House.
Under Ken’s leadership, the Foundation has consistently been recognized for its success and high standards of accountability. The Foundation is one of few to hold an A+ rating from CharityWatch.org and has received a perfect, 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for 14 consecutive years. The Foundation has also received the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence and is part of the Combined Federal Campaign.
Ken lives in New York with his wife, Tammy, and is the proud father of three children who are continuing to carry on the legacy of the Fisher family’s service.
