Bringing Community and Awareness to Children of Wounded, Ill and Injured Veterans
my parents constantly reminded my sister and I that family is everything and when one hurts, everyone is affected in some way. For this reason, my parents tried to maintain an environment of open communication with Azara and I when it came to life as Veterans and especially my dad’s injuries. However, even with open communication, it is easy for circumstances and life’s challenges to take over and eventually, before you know it, the communication that had once been built seems nonexistent, the connection, lost.
It is in these situations that having the opportunity to get away as a family is not only crucial but very valuable to reconnect and slow down, something that does not come easily in this day and age. My family and I have had the blessing to attend a few retreats with different organizations that focus on healing and connecting as a family. The Travis Mills Foundation in Central Maine is an organization that stands out as it displays great excellence and dedication while offering a time of relaxation and recuperation for the family.
SSG Mills’s Story
On April 10, 2012, SSG Travis Mills lost portions of all his limbs due to the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) while serving in Afghanistan. He became one of only 5 quadruple amputees to survive from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
SSG Mills spent 19 months at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with his wife, his daughter, and their families recovering from his injuries. As stated on the website,
“...family was a crucial component to Travis’s healing…. (he) credits Kelsey and Chloe (then 6 months old) as the driving force behind his positivity and persistence to overcome the challenges of his new normal.”
After recovering, he attended an adaptive sports camp in Colorado but soon realized the need for a similar program for veterans and their families to “…relax, reconnect and find strength.” With this in mind he and his wife, Kelsey, founded the Travis Mills Foundation that serves Veterans and their families with an “all-inclusive, all-expenses-paid, barrier-free experience in Maine where they participate in adaptive activities, bond with other veteran families, and enjoy much-needed rest and relaxation in Maine’s great outdoors.”
Impact
After experiencing the retreat for ourselves, we were left in awe with the dedication, care and support that was put into the five days we shared with other families. Filled with fun activities including tubing, pool time, archery, tie dye, a ropes course, kids time, and a grown-up’s dinner, the retreat provided my family with countless memories and time and space to reconnect, talk and get back on track. The experience was even more valuable because of the precious families we were able to meet and bond with during our time there.
The Travis Mills Foundation is working to do something priceless; provide the family as a whole the opportunity to heal and recover, making space to bring connection back into the household. My family gained greatly from this experience. It is our hope that more families will be able to walk away with the growth, healing, and connection offered by this amazing organization.
To learn more about the Travis Mills Foundation
Website: Retreat for Recalibrated Veterans in Maine | Travis Mills Foundation
Phone: (207) 480-3490
Email: foundation@travismillsfoundation.org
Photo Credit: Retreat for Recalibrated Veterans in Maine | Travis Mills Foundation
POSTED BY: SINAIYAH EMAMI
IN: ARTICLES