I’m writing to you today to share a piece of my world with you. My name is Jessica. I’m a mom to two incredible girls – Gabby (10) and Ava (7), and a caregiver for my husband Jorge who served in the U.S. Navy as a Fleet Marine Corpsman.
Jorge came home from his service in Iraq with hearing loss, a traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, seizures, and memory loss caused by an IED explosion he experienced. He forgets important steps to accomplish daily tasks and developed a seizure disorder. After many efforts, he recently regained the ability to speak in full sentences.
As you might imagine, it was difficult to explain to our young girls why their dad was different from other parents. We told them, “Daddy has a boo-boo inside his brain that causes headaches and can make him upset, sleepy, or forgetful.”
Gabby and Ava are secondary caregivers—hidden helpers—for their dad. They are just two of the 2.3 million children living in households with a wounded, ill, or injured service member, and they take their responsibilities very seriously.
Gabby, our eldest, finds ways to bring light and love to any situation every single day. She helps our family in big ways and small ways. She makes pancakes for the family on the weekends and reminds her dad to grab his keys and wallet before he leaves the house. And sometimes, she has to handle the scary task of using the phone to call for help when her dad has a seizure.
Ava, our youngest daughter, has learned to check in with her dad in a special way. She asks him, “how’s the weather,” which is our code for asking about his mood.
There was no way to anticipate or prepare for the devastation my husband’s injuries have inflicted on our family. But thanks to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and supporters like you, our family has finally found a community that understands our unique situation, and we don’t have to walk this journey alone.
You are helping to bring attention to the millions of hidden helpers, like my daughters, in homes across America. Might you consider making a gift today to support resources to build communities where caregiver kids can thrive in school, live with less anxiety, and simply just be kids?
I’m incredibly proud of my girls, but I’ll be the first to admit they have been forced to grow up too soon. More must be done now for Gabby, Ava, and the millions of other hidden helpers supporting our veterans.
Thank you for being part of our story,
Jessica
ELIZABETH DOLE FOUNDATION
600 New Hampshire Avenue NW (10th Floor)
Washington, DC, 20037
(202) 249-7170
