FISHER HOUSE - HELPING MILITARY FAMILIES

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Do you believe in miracles?

Meet "Wounded Warrior" Staff Sgt. Jeffery Redman, a miracle, up close and personal.

After 190-plus surgeries, the soldier acknowledges his "miracles."

You read that correctly, 190-PLUS SURGERIES, and counting.

"That's only the surgeries I know about," accounted the wounded hero, who walks tall and smiles a lot despite his near-fatal wounds. "I can't count the surgeries I had while in a coma immediately after the mortars hit. … I do recall being semi-conscious aboard a helicopter. … I don't recall anything else.

"I know at the hospital in Germany, they did surgical work on me every two hours-plus to keep the infection out," the soldier shared. "So I don't have a true account of actually how many surgeries I've had on my legs. Only one wound was on my upper torso, that's the scar on my hand."

Despite his wounds, he's upbeat, but don't approach him too quickly, especially from the backside.

Redman, you see, is recovering from massive lower body wounds from two incoming mortar shells from enemy forces in Iraq. And he has some psychological scars too.

"I have trouble doing crowds, and please, I hope no one walks up behind me real fast," the soldier shared in his slow drawn out native North Carolina drawl. "I meet weekly with the Wounded Warriors chapter we formed here at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

"Our meetings here at the Ft. Campbell Fisher House prove very soothing, and I'm improving, but someone coming up on me too quickly, well, I guess it goes back to those two mortars that exploded five and 10-feet behind me on March 13, 2006. I might hit someone if they come up on me unexpectedly. I don't recall how far those exploding mortars flung me through the air."

It was "hugs" and shared "emotions" as the soldier chatted enthusiastically with Gold Star Mom, Joyce Mount, a devoted volunteer fundraiser for a Fisher House to be constructed next year at York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro.

"I lost my son, Jud, to an explosive device in Iraq," Mount explained. "I travel the state, in support of other Gold Star Moms and raising funds to build the much-needed Fisher House to serve families as their soldier heroes are treated at nearby York VA and Nashville VA Medical Centers.

"Jeffery was the only soldier that day at Ft. Campbell, who I shared about my son Jud, who died of his wounds in 2008," the Gold Star warrior Mom shared emotionally. "I wanted Jeffery to be encouraged about his survival and being able to still serve his nation on active duty at Ft. Campbell, and share life with his loving wife, Laura, and three sons, Chase, Wolfgang and Corderro."

And there is an explanation about those children's names.

"We named them from where they were born at various places I've been stationed. Chase and Corderro were born in the U.S.," noted the Wounded Warrior proudly. "Wolfgang was named from being born in Germany."

Our Fisher House team witnessed multiple miracles during a recent weekend trip to Ft. Campbell, Ky., the nearest current Fisher House to serve Tennessee soldiers and families.

At age 39, Redman, despite his severe lower body wounds and surgical scars, is still serving his nation.

Supporting construction of Tennessee's Fisher House at the York VA is something we, as civilians enjoying the fruits of America's Freedom, can do. American soldiers are taking incoming enemy fire so that we don't have to.

They deserve our support.

And we prayed for Jeffery and other Wounded Warriors this past Sunday at my church.

Will you pray about supporting them through funding a Fisher House at historic York VA Medical Center? MP

Writer's note: Donations to build a Fisher House at York VA can be sent to Tennessee Fisher House Foundation, P.O. Box 774, Brentwood, Tn., 37024-0774.

Church and civic groups wanting to hear more about a Fisher House to serve Tennessee soldiers and families can call retired Lt. Col. Hooper Penuel at 615-347-1672 or Dan Whittle at 615-459-7650.

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