In this letter, Retired Army Sgt. Jason Castille shares how Fisher House made the difference during his family's stay in his own words.
Leone Redbone, the famous Tin Pan Alley musician once said, “Home is where you hang your hat.” In the military, I used to say, “Home is where you hang your M-16.” Here at the Fisher House, I say, “Home is where you hang your heart.”
It truly is “where the heart is.”
Due to an injury in Iraq in 2003, which led to the discovery of a tumor under my right arm, I ended up without a right shoulder.
Everything the tumor touched had to be removed. This included my latissimus dorsi (wing muscle), shoulder blade, two of my three deltoids (shoulder muscles), a large portion of my collar bone, a significant amount of trapezius, and much more.
Over the past two decades, my right arm has been wired on, screwed on, fused on, all of which ultimately failed. I have spent a lot of my life having surgeries, then recovering, having cancer therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. These things require proximity to a hospital.
Without the Army Fisher House, this would not be possible for my family. With the Army Fisher House, I can get the treatment that I need, and my wife is able to have a place to stay and help me through this.
The Joint Base San Antonio Army Fisher House is right next to the Center for the Intrepid where my prosthetic shoulder was made and where I have my physical and occupational therapy.
It is also right across the street from Brooke Army Medical Center where my primary care doctor and my orthopedic oncologist are.
Even though I only have one shoulder left, there are plenty of shoulders to cry on here at the Army Fisher House, and that is the beauty of this place. We are all trying to heal from something, not just we the patients, but also our families. When a family member is sick or injured, the whole family, in a way, is sick or injured.
Having a home where we all share a kitchen, dining, and living area provides all of us with an opportunity to share our hurts, fears, hopes, and dreams. We can support and encourage each other, and multiple families from all over the country, for a time, become one family.
My wife Rebecca and I have stayed here twice, the last time was in 2018, and we have made lifelong friends. She says, If it were not for the Army Fisher House, she doesn't know what she would do, where she would stay, how she would manage all of this.
And the Army Fisher House makes life normal, in an abnormal situation, she says, “We get to feel normal while we are here, not like patients.” Furthermore, she says, “When we come here, our lives are in shock, and everything comes to a halt, and here we are, at a safe place with people who care.”
The staff at the Army Fisher House go out of their way to accommodate us and make sure we have what we need. They are very supportive and caring. The volunteers who come in are so nice and work so hard, cooking, decorating, bringing snacks and baking cookies. They have hearts of gold and spread cheer all over.
There truly is “no place like home.” Thank you, Army Fisher House, and thank you to all the volunteers and supporters who make this “dream come true” possible. Most of all, thank you for giving us a place to call home, a place to feel at home, when we are so far away from our own.
