National Veteran and Military Families Month: Team U.S, Joel Rodriguez finds healing at Invictus Games The Hague 2020
November is National Veteran and Military Families Month, and we’ve invited family members of Invictus Games competitors to reflect on and share their experiences with our community. The guest blog below was kindly shared with us by Liannie Rodriguez, whose husband Joel competed for Team U.S. at the Invictus Games The Hague 2020.
My husband Joel sustained a spinal cord injury in 2014 after a car accident.
Even before he was discharged from the hospital, Joel got linked into adaptive sports, learned about Wheelchair Rugby, and very quickly fell in love with the sport. He had the opportunity to train with the USA Wheelchair Rugby team for the Invictus Games Orlando 2016, and he made it a goal of his to be a part of the Invictus Games U.S. team. He then later fulfilled this dream, becoming a Team U.S. team member for the Invictus Games The Hague 2020.
The Invictus Games are more than a competition. These competitors are really good at what they do, and the competition is there, but what you see off the field of play are people who have gone through exactly the same struggles as one another and are succeeding and recovering through sport. It’s a way for our incredible service members to showcase the power of resilience and camaraderie.
When we first arrived at the Tampa VA after Joel’s accident, we learned about the Fisher House. The program allowed us to stay near the VA while my husband was able to fully focus on his eight-month journey to his recovery with family by his side every step of the way. And that was huge.
Going through a life-changing experience and not having to do it alone would help anyone be motivated to keep pushing through recovery. For me, not having to think about where to stay for this extended period of time while he recovered was just one less thing to worry about, and that was a blessing.
Having our family there to support both Joel and I while he competed meant everything. We are a really close family, so they have always been present for us. It wasn’t even a question of if they were coming to watch the Games. They wouldn’t miss it no matter where the venue was! Having their support through our journey has been and continues to be priceless.
As a family, it’s rewarding to see your loved one competing and really loving what they are doing, because you know how much work they’ve put into being where they are at that moment. For our family, our time spent during the Invictus Games was really amazing. We truly felt that Fisher House cared about making the experience just as rewarding for the families as it was for the competitors. It was an opportunity for us to enjoy our part in the whole recovery process as well, and we are so grateful to have had that experience.
About Fisher House
The Fisher House program provides a home away from home for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical facilities. The homes provide temporary no-cost lodging so families can be close to their loved ones during a medical crisis www.fisherhouse.org
