Hello
I’m not sure if you remember me.. You wrote quite a kind and supportive blog about our wonderful charity, HOMH.
The very next day my son’s best friend and West Point roommate stepped on an IED. 1LT Thomas Eric Zatoupil, ARMY’s basketball captain was one of the fortunate amputees… loss of his lower left leg and repairable right leg are the extent of his injuries. THAT sounds crazy for me to write.. crazier as i repoeat it over and over as friends and others ask me how Eric is doing…
2 years ago when we first were welcomed at the old Walter Reed Army Medical Center, you could find me for days crying at a moments notice and lacking sleep with worry and sadness for our injured, amputee and all… and now…I am able to describe a young man that is as close to being my own son as “fortunate to be a below knee amputee…”
My own son was operated on after sustaining several sprains to his ankle and foot while on deployment. After seeing others injured more severely, these warriors refuse medical treatment in hopes they are creating space and resources for their brothers and sisters-in-arms. Finally stateside, they are told that the minor damage is now “hopefully repairable” No one even bats an eyelash because in comparison to their commrades with loss of limb(s) TBI, severe PTSD, etc.. SURGERY is just fine, whenever…
Eric was injured on Aug 22. Arriving in Bethesda on Sunday Aug 26. My son, Matthew had his surgery in Ft Hood, Killeen, TX on Tuesday Aug 28. On Friday, August 31 he was cleared and allowed to travel by car only, no air travel, to Bethesda to convalesce with his “brother Eric” in Walter Reed, Bethesda. So, Car rented and a 21 hour drive through hurricane Issac, I delivered Matthew to his best friend… they laugh and cry and LAUGH MORE and MORE… no more tears They are Brave and they believe in their Mission. They are the best of the best West Point trained and ARMY STRONG
I hope that if you are at the hospital you will stop by ROOM 426 Meet Eric, Matthew and the folks that love and heal our warrior sons and daughters.
I hope you didn’t mind my stopping bye and sharing what has happened in our little lives since you and I met.
You are a great energy and I am very happy we met.
Until next time…
Much love and peace,
Laurie “MomWilk” Hollander
203-300-6019
Sir,
I saw you at the Cosmopolitan on 26 Jan 13 in the Wicked Spoon. You were eating breakfast with your wife. I kept staring over at you. I won’t pretend to know what you might have thought about my attention, though I can guess. It wasn’t your injury, just that I knew that I had seen you somewhere, but just couldn’t place you. Then, tonight, it hit me. I looked you up after having remembered seeing a video of your story some months back. I wish I had remembered who you were Saturday morning. It would have been a great honor to have shaken your hand.
Hello
I’m not sure if you remember me.. You wrote quite a kind and supportive blog about our wonderful charity, HOMH.
The very next day my son’s best friend and West Point roommate stepped on an IED. 1LT Thomas Eric Zatoupil, ARMY’s basketball captain was one of the fortunate amputees… loss of his lower left leg and repairable right leg are the extent of his injuries. THAT sounds crazy for me to write.. crazier as i repoeat it over and over as friends and others ask me how Eric is doing…
2 years ago when we first were welcomed at the old Walter Reed Army Medical Center, you could find me for days crying at a moments notice and lacking sleep with worry and sadness for our injured, amputee and all… and now…I am able to describe a young man that is as close to being my own son as “fortunate to be a below knee amputee…”
My own son was operated on after sustaining several sprains to his ankle and foot while on deployment. After seeing others injured more severely, these warriors refuse medical treatment in hopes they are creating space and resources for their brothers and sisters-in-arms. Finally stateside, they are told that the minor damage is now “hopefully repairable” No one even bats an eyelash because in comparison to their commrades with loss of limb(s) TBI, severe PTSD, etc.. SURGERY is just fine, whenever…
Eric was injured on Aug 22. Arriving in Bethesda on Sunday Aug 26. My son, Matthew had his surgery in Ft Hood, Killeen, TX on Tuesday Aug 28. On Friday, August 31 he was cleared and allowed to travel by car only, no air travel, to Bethesda to convalesce with his “brother Eric” in Walter Reed, Bethesda. So, Car rented and a 21 hour drive through hurricane Issac, I delivered Matthew to his best friend… they laugh and cry and LAUGH MORE and MORE… no more tears They are Brave and they believe in their Mission. They are the best of the best West Point trained and ARMY STRONG
I hope that if you are at the hospital you will stop by ROOM 426 Meet Eric, Matthew and the folks that love and heal our warrior sons and daughters.
I hope you didn’t mind my stopping bye and sharing what has happened in our little lives since you and I met.
You are a great energy and I am very happy we met.
Until next time…
Much love and peace,
Laurie “MomWilk” Hollander
203-300-6019
This message is for Maj. Justin Constantine:
Sir,
I saw you at the Cosmopolitan on 26 Jan 13 in the Wicked Spoon. You were eating breakfast with your wife. I kept staring over at you. I won’t pretend to know what you might have thought about my attention, though I can guess. It wasn’t your injury, just that I knew that I had seen you somewhere, but just couldn’t place you. Then, tonight, it hit me. I looked you up after having remembered seeing a video of your story some months back. I wish I had remembered who you were Saturday morning. It would have been a great honor to have shaken your hand.
Godspeed, Marine.
Warmest regards,
Brian Bagent