Caring for Washington's warriors away from home

[unhappycamper]

Caring for Washington's warriors away from home
By KIMBERLY HEFLING
Associated Press Writer
Dec 22, 10:04 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Michelle Ford had newborn twins and a husband severely wounded in Afghanistan when she got the offer to move into a group home on the campus of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Living with other families made her apprehensive, but she agreed. It turned out to be a wise decision.

While the rest of Washington is wrapped up in its holiday hustle, the Ford family is finding the homey atmosphere and camaraderie of Fisher House to be a salve and a source of support as husband Derrick recovers from injuries suffered during a roadside bombing in Afghanistan in mid-August. The couple and 3-month-old twins Trinity and Dennis live with 10 other families, each of whom has a service member or relative being cared for at the hospital.

"It's actually been really nice being able to live with other people in the same kind of situation that you're in," said Derrick, a 22-year-old Army sergeant, whose leg was amputated below the knee.

Walter Reed is just six miles from the White House, where political decisions drive the nation's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the families at Fisher House live in a different world, one full of medical appointments, crying babies, and small accomplishments as the wounded learn to adjust to life-changing injuries.


Rest of article at: http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/stories/U/US_WOUNDED_AND_UPROOTED?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT