BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 24, 2006
Families Find Comfort At Fisher House
At Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Wounded Vets' Relatives Can Stay While Loved Ones Are Treated
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Play CBS Video Video Soldiers' Families Find Relief Families of wounded American soldiers are finding comfort at the Fisher House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The belief is that the soldiers can recover faster with their loved ones close by.
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Sandy Homuth helps care for her 21-year-old son Jeremiah, a wounded soldier. Sandy resides at Fisher House, on the grounds of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. (CBS)
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Retired Gen. William Kernan presented Channing Moss with a Purple Heart. (CBS)
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Interactive Iraq Study Group Report Bipartisan commission warns that situation is "grave and deteriorating."
"We share and then, by the same token, we built each other up, so when I’m feeling like I want to scream, or wanna cry or wanna role up in a ball and disappear, they give me the strength to move on," Lorena Moss said.
"Somehow we’ve just grown to help each other and support each other," Sandy Homuth said. "It’s almost like family here. It’s very special."
Homuth quit her job as a hairdresser to be here with Jeremiah. She says her biggest challenge today is not to be an overbearing, overprotective mother.
"I like being a mom, and I had to be careful about that, because I know he’s an independent man," she said.
But Jeremiah understands that he has to learn to deal with his parents dressing him and helping him with tasks he could once do without thinking.
"This injury has made me very humble, you know what I mean?" he said. "If my family wasn’t here, I don’t know what I’d be doing. Sittin' in my room and getting depressed and drinking myself into a stupor."
Either Sandy or Jeremiah's father, Jeff, is always at Walter Reed. They rotate every two weeks between Washington and their home in Huntley, Ill., where Jeff is a fireman.
"It's difficult," Jeff said. "I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t, but we have a strong marriage and we know that we’re gonna get through this. But we have to do this to get him back, so he feels he can be independent again. ... You know, if I could trade my arm for his, I’d probably do that. I just get choked up a lot when I think of him."
The Homuth's home is filled with pictures of sons Josh – also in the military – Jeremiah, and Jake. Jake, 17, found himself home alone in those first few awful months after Jeremiah was hurt.
"Everybody was kind of just in 10 million different directions and he decided that he could handle this," Jeff Homuth said. "It was amazing, you know. He just stepped up to the plate."
He paid the bills, cleaned the house, and even resurfaced the driveway. He’s now applying to colleges by himself, but with only one income, the Homuths have no idea how they’ll pay for it
"My youngest son says, 'I hate to hear that, I hate to hear one day at a time.' He wants me to have a plan," Sandy Homuth said. "He’s looking for a plan, and he’s looking for a plan for his life, too, and it’s a little bit frustrating because right now we just — it’s too painful and disappointing to have a long term plans.”
Jeremiah is well aware of his family's sacrifices as he shuttles from appointment to appointment, he says he sometimes feels guilty.
"I just didn’t want the whole family to be affected by this," he said.
But the Homuths, the Mosses and other families at Fisher house don’t seem focused on their sacrifice, rather, on small victories: daily progress and eventual recovery.
"He loves us so much and that’s why I have to be strong and I have to be his backbone," Lorena Moss said. "He did it for us, so I have to be there now for him."
"I’m getting to see how incredibly brave and courageous these young men are," Sandy Homuth said. "They’re fighting back, to get back to some kind of a life that is — they’ve never had before. And to me, they’re the most courageous people I’ve ever met."
An Editor's Note: You may wish to visit the Web site of Operation Hero Miles, which enables people to donate frequent flyer miles for the families of injured soldiers to use to come to visit them.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Add a Comment
- Thank you cbs for doing this story my name is Dave Schnell, Jeremiah is my cousin and I also live in Huntley, You grow up with someone your whole life and not know how strong and how inspiring one person can be, I'm an older cousin and sometimes younger cousin's look up to the older cousin's but in this case it's opposite I wish I can say I have half the will and courage my cousin has. I love my cousin very much and I'm glad this story was on T.V...
- Reply to this comment
- You can donate in a few ways, online and my mail to name a couple- all are tax deductible- to the Fisher House Foundation. Only 3% is used for admin purposes. They also explain how they are funded.
Check out their website at fisherhouse.org. Or click
http://www.fisherhouse.org/contribute/contribute.shtml - Reply to this comment
- You can donate in a few ways, online and my mail to name a couple- all are tax deductible- to the Fisher House Foundation. Only 3% is used for admin purposes. They also explain how they are funded.
Check out their website at fisherhouse.org. Or click
http://www.fisherhouse.org/contribute/contribute.shtml - Reply to this comment
- Thank you CBS for doing this story. As a Huntley graduate I have known Jerimah since kindergarden. It was so nice to be able to see his face and know that his recovery continues to progress and our prayers are known for. My continued blessings for the Homuths, as with all other military familes during the Holidays as the fight for this country. Jeremiah we miss you and continue to hope for your recovery. God Bless you All
-Katy Chaves
Huntley, IL - Reply to this comment
- Why don't you tell it like it is?
While it's a blessing a private foundation had the compassion to fund fisher house, where is the US government?
These kids fighting for Bush's phony war aren't provided for when they return? - Reply to this comment
- Can You tell me exactly how the
"Fisher House" is funded. Do they accept donations other than credit card miles and if so, How do I contact and contribute. - Reply to this comment
- They are fighting under false pretenses, if you value life liberty and justice you need to watch this video. It proves beyond anything that our government was behind the attacks of 9/11 2001.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4026073566596731782
Bring our troops home and send Bush off to die!
Every day more and more evidence is proven to show that our government is behind this, yes you will see lots of false theories being made up to discredit the real truth but really people only need to open their eyes. Watch the video thats been posted above and you will start to really question what is going on. Nobody, including myself does not want to believe that our leader and government is behind it but he is and the government is helping to cover it up.
Watch the video, just watch the video thats all I ask.
Then if you want more information strait doing your own research. Don't let main stream media use invalid points while they walk a circle around the truth.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4026073566596731782 - Reply to this comment
- Can You tell me exactly how the
"Fisher House" is funded. Do they accept donations other than credit card miles and if so, How do I contact and contribute. - Reply to this comment
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