Help Bring Vietnam Vet Home: Support for Dad

**Help Bring Dad Home: A Journey of Strength and Resilience**

Dear Friends, Family, and Community,

We come to you with heavy hearts and hopeful spirits, seeking your support for a remarkable man—my dad. At 82 years old, he is a Vietnam veteran, a loving father of five, and a devoted husband of over 50 years. Throughout his life, Dad has exemplified strength, resilience, and an unwavering spirit of generosity, always giving more than he received. Now, it’s our turn to give back to him.

Recently, Dad faced a series of unexpected health challenges that have changed the course of our family’s life. What began as a diabetic ulcer turned into a battle against an infection that required emergency surgery to address a severe staph infection in his knee. The doctors have placed a spacer filled with antibiotics in his knee, and he will need to undergo six weeks of intensive antibiotic treatment before he can have a second knee replacement surgery. This is just the beginning of a long and challenging road to recovery.

As if that weren’t enough, we also learned that Dad has issues with his heart. A heart murmur led to the discovery of problems with his aortic valve, meaning he will ultimately need a valve replacement surgery. Despite these struggles, Dad remains fiercely determined to overcome these challenges, all while longing to return home to Mom, who has been his partner through thick and thin.

While we are immensely grateful for the support from the Veterans Association, which is covering a significant portion of Dad’s medical expenses, we had hoped that they would also cover the home renovations. Unfortunately, the home renovation grant takes upwards of 9-12 months to approve and the VA will not issue reimbursements. To ensure that Dad can return home safely and comfortably, we need to make several modifications to their house to meet ADA compliance. This includes installing ramps, widening doorways, and making necessary adjustments to ensure he can navigate his home with ease.

That’s why we are reaching out to our community through this GoFundMe campaign. Our goal is to raise $30,000 to cover the medical and construction costs associated with Dad’s rehabilitation. Every dollar raised will go directly towards bringing him home to Mom, where he belongs.

Estimated Budget:

$1000 for adaptive living devices in the bathroom and bedroom

$750 for zero gravity office chair and roll-in desk so Dad can keep serving his mission

$5000 to build a ramp so dad can safely enter the home

$8000 to replace carpet floors with wood floors so dad can navigate from point A to point B

$15000 to cover additional home renovations that include widening doorways and openings, new doors, seat assist to basement level, additional safety handrails, smaller fridge due to widening of opening from kitchen to dining room

Dad has always been a pillar of strength for our family and community. He has selflessly given to others, often putting their needs before his own. Now, we ask you to join us in returning that kindness and support. Your contributions, no matter how small, will make a significant difference in our journey to bring Dad back home.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Your support means the world to us, and we are grateful for any help you can provide. Together, we can honor Dad’s incredible legacy of generosity and resilience.

With love and gratitude,

Rebekah, Dianna, Michelle, Brian, and Jessica