Injured Veteran Attends Battle Group Reunion
Lonely Ordeal
“I was injured in Iraq, in 2003. The Army had to let me go because I couldn’t do my job.”
These sad words begin Geither’s story. His family lives away from him, and he does not have many close connections. Thus, his transition to civilian life has been a lonely ordeal.
“I wanted to do my 20 years,” said Geither, “but I guess my body refused to do it. Because of my injuries, I have a lot of conditions.” He goes on to list them: PTS, or Post-Traumatic Stress; a TBI, or traumatic brain injury, “and many more that need care.”
Dampened Sparks...
At a critical point, Geither was contacted by the Warrior Reunion Foundation. Their mission is to “support combat Veterans in overcoming the challenges of post-military transition, by reconnecting those who served together overseas.” These reunions are tailored to groups of soldiers who served together, helping to rebuild the strong connections that Veterans had in the military. Ultimately, it enables Veterans to live better lives.
Unfortunately, the reunion for Geither’s group was being held in Conroe, Texas. This was more than 2000 miles away from his home in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. The sparks of hope were dampened by distance. How would Geither access this life-changing opportunity?
...Now Reignited
It is said that it’s impossible to make a warm campfire from wet branches. The warmth of hope is also hard to re-start once it’s been dampened. But when angels step in, miracles can happen. In this case, Geither’s miracle came from Mercy Medical Angels’ program for Veterans! Through partnerships with the Hogan Foundation and American Airlines, Mercy Medical Angels’ program for Veterans covered the costs of a round-trip airline ticket.
When he met his fellow soldiers after years of separation, it seemed no time had passed. Geither’s hopes for a better future reignited. “No words can describe how good everything was,” said Geither. “I wouldn’t have been able to get there if it weren’t for Mercy Medical Angels.”
“You Are Helping Many More People...”
Geither is now back home, and his quality of life has improved greatly. He is deeply grateful to Mercy Medical Angels’ program for Veterans for getting him to and from the reunion.
“The team is excellent,” said Geither, “so keep doing what you’ve been doing.” He adds, “You are helping many more people, like you did for me. Thank you so much!”
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