Family Strains Under Physical, Mental Wounds

Army Sgt. Richard A. Massimino (Ret.) is a tough customer.

During his three tours of duty in the Middle East, he suffered nine concussions, partial hearing loss, asthma, uncontrollable tremors, a broken spine, two compression fractures to his spine, three herniated disks, degenerative deterioration of the spine and traumatic brain injury resulting in memory loss.
As a result of his physical injuries, he lives with continuous pain.

>But nearly as bad as his physical wounds are the mental wounds from his extraordinary service overseas. His wife, Natasha explains, "All of these medical issues have created daily battles for him, but the worst of all is the one you can't see with your eyes or with an X-ray. His post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) went untreated for years. All the while, he was becoming someone we didn't recognize. He was easily irritable, angry and had severe mood swings. We knew something was wrong."

Natasha remembers one evening in particular that frightened her: On the Fourth of July last year, he took his child outside to watch the fireworks but minutes later was back in the house, crying and curled up on the couch. When she tried to console him, she noticed he was holding a rifle and mumbling to himself.

Between the constant pain of his physical injuries and his PTSD, Richard is unable to care for himself or his three children on his own. This has put tremendous strain on the family finances as Natasha is forced to be a caregiver for their three children as well as her wounded husband."We see difficult times ahead in the future. My wife is my caregiver but is not financially reimbursed, and we are unsure when I will be able to work again," Richard said.

Natasha confided her troubles to a friend, who referred the Massimino family to the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. Coalition staffers quickly verified Richard's outstanding service record and rushed emergency aid to the family in the form of paying utility bills, car payments, and car and renters' insurance.
"Having this aid was extremely appreciated," Natasha said. "This allowed our family to purchase necessities such as food and gas. The Coalition is a generous organization and we were blessed to have been put in contact with them. They are truly heaven sent. Not all wounds are physically visible, so we appreciate the continuous support."

Natasha is now an eager member of the Coalition's Partner Appreciation Program. This program gives wounded troops and their families the ability to directly thank donors over the phone. "It means so much to be able to call up these patriotic Americans and let them know their contributions really do matter," she says. "They are helping people like us. Plus, I make the calls from home so I can take care of my husband and children and make money to support us at the same time. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to do this!"

The Coalition's general manager, Tom Palma, said, "Our donors should be proud to have helped Richard Massimino and his family through a pretty dark time."
Added Richard, "I couldn't have made the progress that I have so far without the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. For that I will always be grateful."