While recovering from a gunshot wound, August O’Niell received support from his family, who received consistent support from the Fisher House to make their unwavering care possible.
August O’Niell’s family is filled with service members and veterans. He and his brother, Robert, are Air Force pararescuemen, and his mom, dad, and stepdad are all Air Force veterans, so the family knew the risk of getting the call that no one wants.
Robert was already on his way to his unit headquarters when he got the call from his mom. “I’m backing out of the driveway, and I see my mom calling on the cell phone. I knew something was wrong. I answered the phone. She was crying. She wasn’t screaming and yelling, but she was freaking out and saying, ‘Something’s happened to August. I don’t know what’s going on. Nobody’s telling me anything.’ That’s not how the [casualty notification] process is supposed to work.”
Robert was able to get news that his brother was alive, but he’d suffered bad gunshot wounds in Afghanistan.
“I packed a 36-hour bag. I had two children, and my wife was pregnant at the time. I told her, ‘Hey, I’m going to meet Augie.’ My wife was fully supportive, and I got on a plane.”
A home for family
As a pararescueman, Robert had medical knowledge and knew when he saw the leg wounds that August was in for a tough recovery. He sent news back to the family and settled into the hospital room to be close to his brother. He stayed there for about two days, sleeping in the chair, before learning about Fisher House.
“I’m sitting there, concerned about what August’s life is going be like after this. When I initially heard Fisher House, I didn’t know what that was. I honestly initially just thought ‘We’re going to the barracks. Fine.’”
Instead, Robert was ushered into the Landstuhl Fisher House.
Fisher Houses are comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay free of charge while loved ones receive medical treatment. Families stay free of charge for as long as needed while medical care continues.
“I felt like I was surrounded by family because everyone else in there was dealing with something like this. When I passed someone in the hall, the conversation felt very natural. It wasn’t like talking to a stranger.”
A focus on healing
August’s injuries were bad enough that he spent three years attempting to rehabilitate his leg before opting for an amputation. Through about 20 surgeries, his mother, sisters, father, and stepfather all came to support him at hospitals in D.C. and Texas, usually staying at a Fisher House.
“August got shot in 2011,” Debbie, August’s mom, said. “They didn’t take the leg until 2014. August used the Fisher House multiple times. It supported his whole family, depending on who he needed for which operation. The Fisher House supported us.”
Knowing that his family was taken care of helped August focus on healing.
“It’s comforting knowing that you are not a burden on people, because that’s the initial thought,” August said. “You’re used to being the savior, not the person that everybody’s trying to fix.”
August remains on active duty and continues to serve as an Air Force pararescue jumper. He also is an adaptive athlete.
Fisher House offers additional programs including supporting friends and families at adaptive sporting events, providing hotels through their Hotels for Heroes program, providing flights through their Hero Miles program, and providing scholarships for military children and children of the fallen or 100% disabled. Both the Hero Miles and Hotels for Hero programs are supported by donated loyalty points or frequent flyer miles. For more information, visit fisherhouse.org.
