The Richards have been together since they met in a small cafe in 2014. In 2026, Fisher House helped them stay together when Navy veteran Patrick suffered heart and lung issues starting on Valentine's Day.
Former Navy submariner Patrick Richard was in Guatemala on April 1, 2014, studying to improve his Spanish language skills. He decided to find someone to practice with, so he stopped at a coffee shop that he frequented.
Minutes later, Karina walked in. She was trying to find one of the many foreigners around to help her practice English for her job and was making her last stop of the day.
“When I entered, he was sitting there, and as soon as I saw him, I said, ‘Oh my God, what an interesting man!’” explained Karina.
The conversation went so well that the couple married in the same café about a year and a half later. After several years, Karina and Patrick decided to move to the United States and after trying a few different cities, found Manhattan, New York suited them best. They stayed for two years before deciding to go back to Guatemala to be with her family. Then, in 2025, Patrick began having medical issues that brought him back stateside for care.
Photo courtesy of Richard Family
“On February 14 at 3 a.m., my husband began to feel very bad,” said Karina.
The couple learned that Patrick was having problems with his heart and decided to come back to the VA in Manhattan for treatment. When they first arrived, they could only afford a hotel that didn’t have air conditioning. They also felt unsafe.
“I remember how much I was crying because I couldn’t sleep and my husband was in the hospital and after he was discharged from the hospital, they said he needed other kinds of tests because they found a spot in his lung. And all of this required more time staying in Manhattan, but we didn't have more resources,” Karina recalled. “We began to pay Airbnb and then this Airbnb couldn’t give us more time, and we didn’t have anywhere to go.”
During this uncertain time, Karina felt hopeless. Patrick was told that he needed more medical tests and she wanted to be by his side. She had reached a point where she felt homeless and alone.
“And then someone said, ‘There is a Fisher House in The Bronx. I will give you the number.’ And that was when Patrick called and they said we could come here and... Oh my God, this was a blessing for us,” she said.
After his treatment, the Richards were able to return home, but had to come back for checkups. During their latest visit, they reminisced about spending time in the backyard.
“We had a picnic in the grass last summer when we were here, a real picnic and all the birds were around because there’s a lot of trees,” said Patrick.
They also shared about the peacefulness in the house and the community of family that forms within.
“It’s like a family here and you can see that you are not the only ones who are in a place waiting for tests and results,” said Karina. “There were so many people listening and really helping us.”
