Ashlee Williams - Road to Recovery 2016

My family was given the opportunity to attend the 2016 Road to Recovery conference in Orlando, FL.  The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes went above and beyond to ensure that we were able to have an incredible week. Words truly do not express how grateful we are for this experience, the life-changing friendships, and opportunities that we will forever remember and embark on.

Life isn’t always sunshine and flowers for us Veteran families.  Typically, I am very hesitant to agree to go on any kind of vacation or trip away from home. 

Will the place be accessible? How will we get the power wheelchair from place to place? What if the power wheelchair stops working? And the lift… what if the short in the lift decides to magically reappear?  A WEEK- How can I possibly pull my child out of school for a week? Babysitters for the pets, and the home…. Sooo much to do.

These are just a few of the excuses that I create in my head as to why I shouldn’t apply my family for a conference such as this.  There’s just so much to it.

We have an interesting story you see. To many people, it is a story of triumph.  To us- it is our real life.  My husband, J.D. stepped on a bomb in Afghanistan.  Most people would have given up on life after losing 3 limbs but not my stubborn infantryman. Oh no. Giving up is not apart of his vocabulary.  He’s way too hard headed for that.  No, instead he perseveres and proves that he can and he will. 

So….when my excuses started actually flowing out of my mouth to his ears, I might have been better off talking to a brick wall.  We were going to Florida.  The wheelchair AND the lift would be fine.  The school would understand.  The grandparents will watch the house and pets.  Florida it is.  I almost had him talked out of it when I mentioned we would be participating in a peer panel session for 90 other families (his nerves tend to get the best of him).  Through the support and encouragement from my work in the Heroes Thanking Heroes program and previous attendees, we committed.

What an incredible week we had.  My own excuses almost made us miss out on an experience that will no doubt change the course of our lives.  We were able to attend sessions tailored to our own needs and walk away feeling more informed than I have felt in our 6 years post injury.  There were amazing motivational speakers that were able to get through to so many Veterans in the room that may have experienced similar situations.  Not only did we feel empowered from the conference, it was heartwarming to watch as the faces around us were truly beginning to see that there really are people out there that do understand and care. 

Being able to share our own family’s personal experience through the peer panel session was a blessing in disguise.  The nerves in my husband’s pale white face were very noticeable to me but clearly not to those who approached afterwards letting him know what an inspiration he is.  As a couple that have faced their own trials and tribulations, we learned from this session that we should be more apt and willing to share what we have been through with others.  Even if our words help one person, that is enough of a reason. 

At the closing banquet on the final evening of the conference, we were presented with a life-changing iBot motorized wheelchair.  Through the efforts of the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes & Independence Corps, many doors have been opened for my family and the limitations J.D. faces daily are looking more like possibilities for us now.  He can reach cabinets in our home that he has never seen.  We can take that trip to the beach now because his chair will make it through the sand. We can visit more family because the steps going into their homes aren’t a deal-breaker anymore.  The possibilities are endless and we are so very grateful.

-Ashlee Williams