FISHER HOUSE - HELPING MILITARY FAMILIES

Share This Page

Air Force Staff Sgt. John Garcia had only a couple weeks left of his deployment to South Korea when he learned his son was in the hospital.

What started off as a cold and cough for 9-month-old Jordan Garcia escalated to pneumonia and a choking episode, which sent him to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center in mid-April.

He was put on a nebulizer to expand his lungs to make it easier to breathe and was prescribed a steroid for asthma.

Jordan was released after a few hours, but his condition worsened when he returned home as he struggled to eat, drink and breathe.

The next day he, his mother Christine and 2-year-old sister Mikaelah rode in an ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, where Jordan slipped into critical condition.

When John Garcia arrived home two days later, he and Christine discussed his next deployment to Italy on May 12. They had already submitted their 30-day notice on their rental house and had to find a place to stay until their future was more certain.

That’s when they learned about Fisher House on Eglin Air Force Base. On April 28 the Garcias were setting up home in one of its 12 rooms after Jordan was dismissed from Sacred Heart.

The Fisher House, which opened in September 2010, provides free housing for active-duty service members, veterans, retirees and their families while a loved one receives medical treatment nearby.

The 11,000-square-foot building provides guests with basic cable television, Wi-Fi, two washers and dryers, a well-stocked kitchen designed for two families, and an ample-sized family room. All the rooms are handicap accessible and the backyard provides plenty of space for children to play.

Ron Gribble, the manager at Fisher House, says most guests are shocked at how nice and luxurious it is.

“The Fisher House is unique,” Gribble said. “We are like no other.”

On average, most guests stay from three to five days to a few weeks. As of late June, about 200 people had stayed at the house, Gribble said.

The Garcias felt comfortable with Fisher House’s atmosphere and saw it as a blessing.

“You don’t have to worry not having a place to stay,” John said. “You actually have a place to come home to. Everyone here is very friendly.”

“I was telling my husband how wonderful it is that these places exist,” Christine added. “They are amazing to me.”

The reassurance of a roof over their heads helped the Garcias focus on Jordan’s health. After he was released from Sacred Heart, he was referred to a gastroenterologist and pulmonary specialists for his enlarged liver, acid reflux and reactive airway condition.

Jordan was cleared in mid-June of having cystic fibrosis after a sweat test was conducted. An ultrasound also determined his liver appeared to be back to normal. He continued using a nebulizer to help his breathing and taking medicine for his acid reflux.

Although doctors were never able to offer an official diagnosis on Jordan’s sudden health problems, he improved over the next few weeks as his weight increased and he became livelier.

Along with that news came John’s new orders to Eglin instead of Italy. Although the Garcias were looking forward to going to Italy, the doctors and treatment available for Jordan locally were far more important.

“I’m just focused on my son,” John said. “And I know he is going to get the right care in Pensacola.”

The Garcias are grateful for all Fisher House has done for them. The managers, volunteers and amenities helped them so much in their time of need that the couple wants to volunteer there in the future.

“I just wish more people knew what the Fisher House is; more volunteers, more help around for anything and everything,” is needed, John said.

There are always chores to be done, such as gardening and pulling weeds. Gribble says that is one of the hardest jobs to find volunteers for.

“Who wants to go out when the heat index is 105 degrees and pull weeds?” Gribble said. “Let me see a show of hands? There you go. Nobody does.”

The people who do volunteer their time help out a great deal. They even have a dinner every second Thursday of the month in which they cook dinner for the guests.

“It’s been really fun, actually,” Gribble said.

With their son still needing medical attention, the Garcias are focusing on the bright side. The family will move into their new home later this month.

“(This experience) has brought us close together,” Christine said.

“For each other and as a family,” John added. “We spend a lot more time together now.”

Share This Page