Derek is a First-Class Petty Officer, E6 stationed at NAS JAX and has bravely served in the Navy for over a decade. He spent his first five years deployed in the Middle East and the last five on shore duty.
Derek struggles with a spinal injury that resulted in additional medical complications, leading multiple surgeries and the need for long-term physical therapy. He requires the full-time support and care of his wife. She has made personal career sacrifices in order to serve as her husband’s sole caregiver during his road to recovery. She attends weekly doctor’s visits and physical therapy appointments, in addition to assisting Derek with mobility and pain management at home.
Due to the difficult nature of Derek’s injuries, the family is unable to accept the help of another caretaker at this time which has left his wife unable to work and earn an income. With medical bills mounting and several children to support, the family reached out to Wish for Our Heroes for assistance.
Our Gift
We were proud to be able to help relieve some of the financial burdens for Derek and his family by covering three months of rent, a total of $5,100.