A Sister's Love Helps Heal Wounded Warrior

A story that proves that the love of a sister and the strong desire to try to understand the changes that war brings to our veterans is the best medicine of all 
by Donna Teresa 

When I received a message that a friend of mine was trying to reach me urgently before Veterans Day, of course I was panicked.

I looked at the name, and I believe I lost the color in my face. As soon as I knew who the caller was, many thoughts began swirling in my mind. Diane Huerta of Chualar is a nurse’s aide at Boronda Meadows Elementary School in Salinas. Diane’s sister Cpl. Jeanette Nichols of the Army’s 790th Chemical Co. had been deployed to Iraq since last year.

Diane and her sister Gloria Sandoval had not heard from Jeanette in a few months. All they knew was that she was sent somewhere in Baghdad. Diane received the call of her life a week ago, because Jeanette had finally called from Fort Lewis, Wash., from the Wounded Warrior Battalion Hospital…

She had been home since September and didn’t call the family until November because of her injuries and as not to burden the family. She suffered a back injury and was dealing with having only 58 to 79 percent hearing.

In addition, Jeanette was and still is battling post-traumatic stress disorder. Diane’s reaction at hearing her sister’s voice was, of course, overwhelming. 

"I immediately started to cry, because I knew something was wrong. I knew I had to go see her as soon as possible."

Like with many military families, the expense of transportation and housing to see a loved one at a hospital is immense. I helped Diane with phone numbers to the Fisher House organization — www.fisherhouse.org — that assists families with low-cost housing while they are visiting their wounded warrior.

The Boronda Meadows school staff members generously pitched in and helped Diane with air transportation and money for expenses. American Airlines/Alaskan Air came to Diane’s rescue with a compassion fare that is specifically arranged to help reunite wounded military service men and women and their families.

Cpl. Nichols, who was being treated in an outpatient capacity, met her sister at the Seattle airport. As you can expect, it was sight to behold.

"We cried a lot and hugged. It felt like a slow-motion movie, because I couldn’t reach her fast enough. It was the best medicine a family could have."

Even though her sister is on medical hold for six more months of rehabilitation, her unit is facing a return to Iraq in six months as well, and Diane fears for her return. What caught Diane’s attention was her sister’s changed behavior. Going on a simple trip to the grocery store was difficult. A sudden noise, crash or bang would instantly get Jeanette agitated, and she needed to leave the store.

She confided to Diane that fitting in back home has not been easy. Jeanette gave Diane the book "Down Range: to Iraq and Back," written by Bridget C. Cantrell and Chuck Dean, that helps to explain the changes these new veterans are going through. Jeanette thought it would help Diane realize she is not the same person anymore. Diane fondly recalls the moment when she found a spare kitchen to cook at the base, as her sister had asked Diane to cook her some homemade food.

Diane made Jeanette’s favorites of rice, beans, chile verde and salsa. Cpl. Nichols had asked to invite seven of her friends on base to join them for dinner. She brought 28. Said Huerta, "I said God, if you can feed the 5,000, please let me have enough food to feed them all, and we did have enough food. I didn’t want to disappoint any of them."

Diane gave her sister the best medicine of all, the love of a sister and the strong desire to try to understand the changes that war brings to our veterans.

Donna Teresa can be reached at [email protected].

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