Sick and injured veterans need the support of their families to see them through difficult treatments in the VA hospitals.
Now there is a new place to help families with the expense and challenge of staying close.
At the Tucson VA Medical Center, the newest building here is not really part of the hospital, but an important part of helping sick and injured veterans heal.
The Fisher House and it helps keep the families close for all the strength they can provide."
This is a celebration of a place to help veterans and their families through the tough times of injury and illness.
Fisher House gives military families a comfortable, close place to stay when a veteran is in the VA Hospital.
Erik Castillo knows how important that can be.
A mortar round hit him in Iraq. He went through 22 surgeries.
A Fisher House helped his family stay close to share their strength.
"The Fisher House I was in, they were in Washington DC so that's practically the other side of the country so it was really important in my recovery to have my support system there close by."
The Fisher Family has used its own resources and donations to build 69 Fisher Houses near military and VA hospitals.
The Tucson house has 16 suites.
House manager Kelly Laurich remembers when her family struggled to be with her sick parents in a civilian hospital far from home.
Fisher House Manger Kelly Laurich says, "For us to travel back and forth it cost us a fortune and the driving time and the stress and having to eat in cafeterias, in hospital cafeterias was really stressful so when I heard this job was open and available I really wanted it because I know how these families feel."
Families who could use the services of Fisher House will normally learn about them through the patient's own social worker.
There is also a service to help cover hotel costs if Fisher House does fill up.
If you would like to learn more about Fisher House or make a donation, click here.
