Monday, January 29, 2007
Intrepid Center
I may as well write this while its fresh in my mind. Today was amazing, something I never expected. We have met some important and very wealthy people along the way. Luke and the guys can never be given enough credit for what they go through, but this center is the beginning of getting them back to the lives they lived before, or at least close. Today was the opening of the Intrepid Center and the two new Fisher Houses. What beautiful buildings! The Intrepid Center includes 4 floors dedicated to the rehab, prosthetics, and fun of course. In the center you can find a weapon simulater, a 360 degree virtual simulator (only one in the world!) a wave pool that provides a wave maybe 8 feet high for work on balance coordination and of course..surfing. The pool area also has a pool equipped with kayaks, basketball hoops, and other great therapy activities. The rock wall is also pretty amazing to look at, starting on the 3rd floor extending to the 4th right next to the indoor track..close enough the guys joke about jumping from one to the other. We had a showing of the upper extremity lab today, and holy! they can do such a realistic job on creating hands and arms for the soldiers. I met Solo-Santana today who has a prosthetic arm and hand, and you couldn't tell at all. There were drawn in veins, hair, wrinkles and even realistic fingernails. While walking through the center we had a chance to meet the guy who writes Dunsberry, another General who is a below the knee amputee and many others who showed their respect for Luke and the family. The 4 star general even offered to marry us there on the spot...ha..we both gave a real scared look at that. :) I cant describe everything about the day, just amazing and hopefully you Google it or get the chance to check it out yourself.
The new Fisher Houses are beautiful, the biggest built to the day. Both provide 21 more rooms at BAMC for the families and soldiers. So all those to bought t-shirts, now you are able to see what your money can do! The kitchens are huge with 3-4 fridges, 3 sets of laundry equipment, all flat screen, HDTVs around the house, and of course rooms that you only see in magazines. The houses also provide a child center, where finally the small children who are moved down here have a nice play area and, I believe, a care taker so the the parents can enjoy time too. I think one of the most important people for me to meet the last two days was Mr. Fisher (one of them). He is the most grateful man I have ever met. We said thanks a million times, but he said the soldiers are the only ones who deserve that. There are pictures scattered on so many papers, cameras and ect that I wish I could get a handle on. As Luke and I were walking through the Fisher Courtyard yesterday, we were taken pictures of and interviewed for random papers and TV programs. Luke's answers were professional and the photo-shoots we all took part of, felt overwhelming. The flashes going off one after another before you can even blink. I will write more later hopefully, I just woke up from a nap, still catching up after driving the distance Saturday and Sunday.
Famous People Present: (note: I cant spell these)
Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton
Many majors and secretaries of different departments
Rosie O'Donnell
John Melancamp
Big and Rich
some country music girl--sings a song named Hero?
The Fisher Family- lots of them!
The Ultimate Fighting Champion- name..no idea
a famous actress..name escapes me now- I'll remember later
I'm sure others, but I would not have recognized them
The new Fisher Houses are beautiful, the biggest built to the day. Both provide 21 more rooms at BAMC for the families and soldiers. So all those to bought t-shirts, now you are able to see what your money can do! The kitchens are huge with 3-4 fridges, 3 sets of laundry equipment, all flat screen, HDTVs around the house, and of course rooms that you only see in magazines. The houses also provide a child center, where finally the small children who are moved down here have a nice play area and, I believe, a care taker so the the parents can enjoy time too. I think one of the most important people for me to meet the last two days was Mr. Fisher (one of them). He is the most grateful man I have ever met. We said thanks a million times, but he said the soldiers are the only ones who deserve that. There are pictures scattered on so many papers, cameras and ect that I wish I could get a handle on. As Luke and I were walking through the Fisher Courtyard yesterday, we were taken pictures of and interviewed for random papers and TV programs. Luke's answers were professional and the photo-shoots we all took part of, felt overwhelming. The flashes going off one after another before you can even blink. I will write more later hopefully, I just woke up from a nap, still catching up after driving the distance Saturday and Sunday.
Famous People Present: (note: I cant spell these)
Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton
Many majors and secretaries of different departments
Rosie O'Donnell
John Melancamp
Big and Rich
some country music girl--sings a song named Hero?
The Fisher Family- lots of them!
The Ultimate Fighting Champion- name..no idea
a famous actress..name escapes me now- I'll remember later
I'm sure others, but I would not have recognized them
