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Military families receive comfort from Andrews Fisher House

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chyenne A. Adams
  • AFDW Public Affairs
AIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON --  Although the 53 Fisher House homes around the world serve more than 11,000 families annually, many who serve in the armed forces don't know about the benefits that this unique organization brings to military members and their families during a time of need.

"Most people just don't know about us until they need us," said Janet L. Grampp, Andrews Air Force Base Fisher House manager.

The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military through a program that enables family members to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease or injury.

Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center to assist families in need and ensure they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment.

"That is our main goal - from the moment these families walk in the door, we want them to get an immediate sense of relief," said Mrs. Grampp. "We work very hard to maintain a 'home' here. This is not a hotel setting. When folks walk in they see a wholesome, clean, family environment situated like a large home. We are here to provide that small comfort - and financial relief - to families already going through so much."

By law, there is no charge for any family to stay at a Fisher House operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Fisher House Foundation uses donations to reimburse the individual Fisher Houses operated by the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

According to Mrs. Grampp, the majority of funding comes from Combined Federal Campaign donations, with fundraisers and private donations filling in the gap. Volunteers also clean rooms, volunteer their time to cook meals for the families in the home's kitchen, and more.

"There are times when this is hard because you form an attachment with these individuals and you want to do all you can for them," she said. "I've worked in this home for 17 years and I've had some recurring guests coming back for more than a decade who have to continue to get specialized treatment - you definitely get close."

Many previous guests also return to the homes to "pay it forward," said Mrs. Grampp. Many return to cook a meal for current guests or bring donations that helped them during their stays. It's their way of giving back.

"Every day is a blessing here," she said. "I get paid in hugs and thank you's and get to work at the best job on base. Not everyone gets the job satisfaction that I do, knowing I make a difference in somebody's life every single day. I think that's why so many are kind enough to donate - it gives them that feeling, knowing they made a difference where it matters."

Families of all shapes and sizes take up temporary residence at the Fisher House. Currently residing at the Andrews AFB home are two families with young children undergoing medical care in the National Capital Region.

Senior Airman Grant Arndt, wife Lindsey, 3-year-old son Zavian, 1-year-old son Emeric, and newborn son Draius, have been residing at Fisher Homes in the local area since August. They were stationed in Germany when Zavian was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and had to be med-evaced to Andrews AFB for specialized treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

ALL is a cancer caused by malignant, immature white blood cells that continuously multiply and are overproduced in the bone marrow. ALL causes damage and death by crowding out normal cells in the bone marrow, and by spreading to other organs.
Mrs. Arndt even delivered her youngest child, Draius, here on Thanksgiving Day, while Zavian was still going through treatment.

"I don't know how we would have made it," said the young couple together. "We were so very stressed with everything going on. Coming back here to a real home environment with people who support you and what you're going through is so very important."
Zavian's father said his son's prognosis is good, but he's halfway through chemotherapy treatments that put him back in the hospital for a week at a time, every few weeks.

The Arndt family has been officially reassigned to Andrews AFB through the Exceptional Family Member Program and says the Air Force has been supportive at every turn. They admit they didn't know much about the Fisher House until the nurses in Germany set everything up for them.

Another family currently in residence at the Andrews Fisher House has a 7-week old girl, Valeria, born with vesicoureteral reflux stage 2 and an enlarged bladder. With normal urination, the bladder contracts and urine leaves the body through the urethra. With vesicoureteral reflux, some urine goes back up into the ureters and possibly up to the kidneys. The injury to the kidney may result in renal scarring and loss of future growth potential or widespread scarring and atrophy.

Valeria was the first child born to Capt. Leria Diaz and Angel Jorge, who at the time were stationed at Lajes Air Force Base, Azores; but who delivered Valeria through the Stork Nesting Program at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The "next thing they knew" the young family had to pick up and leave everything as their young child was med-evaced via C-17 to Andrews AFB to see a specialist at Children's National Hospital.

"Everything is already hard and new as a first-time parent, then all of this happens - it's overwhelming," said Captain Diaz. "It made a big difference being able to come here to a home environment and talk to other families who are going through something similar."

The new mother said the support she's received has been great overall.

"My squadron and my wing commander have been really great in their support of us," she said. "Other families here have helped me, the staff here at the Fisher House is really nice, and the people along the way have been helpful. The little things have made a difference - the clothes, cookies and books that people donate. You never know when it's going to be your turn to 'need', so it's nice that people give when they can."

Valeria's prognosis is also looking better as doctors say her bladder is starting to shrink on its own, according to her parents.

As these young parents chat about the week's doctor's appointments by the Christmas tree at the bottom of the steps, the children watched cartoons in the living room, and Mrs. Grampp and a volunteer changed sheets and cleaned the bathroom for another family scheduled to arrive that night.

"We do this for the patients and their families," said Mrs. Grampp. "This is your home while you're here, and we do what we do to make it special, because you are important to us."

Anyone interested in volunteering or donating to the Andrews AFB Fisher House is asked to e-mail Janet Grampp. The home is also the collection point for the Maryland Room, a separate facility for Wounded Warriors on the base. Needs at both facilities are vastly different, so the manager keeps a weekly list of what is currently needed for each.