FISHER HOUSE - HELPING MILITARY FAMILIES

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The sight of a long-missed loved one is good for more than just sore eyes. It's good medicine for the entire body — especially when one is injured or ill. There can be few things more comforting to a wounded service member then having his family by his side. And there are few wives, mothers or fathers who wouldn't go through hell to be with a hurt spouse or child.

But what happens when an injured service member is sent to a hospital far from home for recovery and medical care? How does a family afford to pack up and stay for weeks or months at a time in a city that may be hundreds of miles away?

Neither the Department of Defense nor the Veterans Administration provides funds for extended family visits. Hotel stays can run into the thousands of dollars. For a young wife anxious to be near her husband — or a family wanting to be close to a son, a sister, a father — the cost of a prolonged stay far from home can be financially devastating and oftentimes impossible to manage.

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Enter Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher, founders of the Fisher House Foundation. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Zachary Fisher was a fabulously successful real estate developer. Although rejected for service at the outbreak of WWII due a childhood leg injury, Fisher became a strong advocate of the U.S. armed forces, devoting incredible amounts of time and money to military and veteran causes.

In 1990, Pauline Trost, wife of the then-chief of naval operations, Admiral Carlisle Trost, approached the Fishers about the desperate need to provide temporary lodging for families of patients undergoing treatment at military hospitals. The Fishers immediately donated $20 million to the project.

One year later, the first Fisher house opened at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Fully furnished, the sprawling home was able to accommodate eight families. It was a place where family members could return in the evening after an often grueling day spent in a hospital — a warm, homelike setting rather than a cramped, impersonal motel room. It provided families a chance to meet and share concerns with others going through similar crises.

Today, 53 Fisher Houses provide homes away from home that serve families of both active-duty service members and veterans. The homes are located on or near military and veterans' medical centers and hospitals. There is no cost to the government to build these homes — they are gifts from the Fisher Foundation. And there is no charge to the families who stay at the homes.

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Richmond's Fisher House, located on the grounds of the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, opened its doors in 2008. The facility is run by manager Wayne Walker and his very dedicated team. Walker, a retired Army command sergeant major and an Iraq war veteran, is no stranger to the turmoil wounded soldiers and their families go through.

The McGuire VA Medical Center is one of the largest Veterans Affairs hospitals in the country. It is one of four facilities in the country that provides intensive rehabilitative care to veterans and service members with severe injuries to multiple organ systems (including brain injuries). Unfortunately, it gets a lot of business these days.

The Richmond Fisher House was built to meet the huge need generated by that activity. At 16,000 square feet and with 21 bedrooms, it is also one of the largest Fisher Houses ever built. It has provided solace to about 1,500 family members of veterans of WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The average length of stay at the Fisher House is 14 days. There is a minimum three-day stay and the longest stay has been just under a year. While each family is there, Walker and his staff bend over backward to make them feel at home.

Long days spent in the hospital and strange surroundings can be hardest on children. Anticipating the need for kids to blow off steam, the home boasts a huge outdoor playground, an indoor play area, an awesome flat-screen TV just for video games and plenty of DVDs and board games.

All of these amenities were either gifts of, or made possible by, the incredible generosity of Richmond-area individuals, organizations and corporate donors. These gifts of time, supplies and money keep the home running smoothly. The Richmond community has welcomed the Fisher House with arms opened wide and wallets even wider.

The Red Cross provides care packages to newly arriving families. Local restaurants have pitched in to provide weekly meals for families staying at the home. Service organizations have been exceptionally generous.

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What's a mom worried sick about her own military child stationed far from home do to relieve her stress? If she's a Blue Star Mother, she well may show up once a week to cook dinners for the residents of Fisher House. These military moms serve meals cooked with love and the knowledge that were the shoe on the other foot, these military families would probably do the same for her family.

I had the opportunity recently to talk to Walker and his program assistant, Willie "Mac" McDonald. It is obvious the two men love what they do and strive to make everyone feel welcome. Their dedication goes far beyond merely running a lodging facility. They have gotten to know the families and have become close to many. Walker has even seen family members of soldiers that he served with in Iraq stay at the Fisher House.

Their concern for the residents is obvious. It's not unheard of for families to arrive with next to nothing. A stay that was originally planned to last a matter of days might stretch into weeks. Walker keeps a supply of donated gift cards to Walmart and other area stores in the event that a family might need additional clothes, toiletries or food.

When a loved one is ill or injured, life can become unhinged. Every ounce of available energy is devoted to helping that person recover. The last thing families need is to worry about are crushing financial burdens.

The Fisher House is a welcome respite providing warmth and the camaraderie of others going through the same struggles. Families bond quickly — whether it is a young wife with children or an older couple struggling with health issues of a Vietnam veteran. It's a safe place where families can stay while healing happens. Richmond should be proud of its Fisher House — it's one of the best.

Those interested in making a donation can visit the Richmond Fisher House at www.RichmondFisherHouse.org.

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