Operation Homefront Assists Veteran’s Spouse During Difficult Time
Ryan Redshaw was on annual training during active duty in the Army National Guard when an injury would change his life.
As he jumped out of a helicopter, he hit his head. He did not think it was serious, but his wife, Liana, noticed some things. At first, it was little things like Ryan being more forgetful. He could not keep track of things. It kept getting worse.
At 33, Ryan was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. He had to medically retire from the military after serving 12 years and reaching the rank of sergeant. They learned that he carried a genetic predisposition to the disease, and the traumatic brain injury caused the disease to progress even faster.
Liana was left to pick up the pieces.
“I was pregnant with our third baby when this all happened,” Liana said. “I was maybe five months pregnant when he came home and he was not well. I knew something was wrong. It was really challenging to navigate.”
Because Ryan was in the Guard and they did not live on base, Liana did not know anyone in his unit. She had also never experienced the VA system and did not even know she should be taking him to VA doctors. She started with civilian doctors and had trouble getting anyone to listen to her.
“This really helped us get to where we are now.” – Liana Redshaw, veteran spouse
Her background as a social worker helped her navigate the challenges. But with a newborn and two other young children, she had trouble keeping up. She applied and became an Elizabeth Dole Fellow for caregivers. She sold the family home in Florida and move everyone to Illinois where her family lived. She put money from the sale toward another home and for Ryan’s memory-care facility.
“It has just been endless urgencies,” she said. “This is a train wreck. I’m trying to fix as it happens.”
As the disease progressed, Ryan was not safe to be alone. He could not remember if he closed or opened doors. At times he would not remember he was holding their child. He could not make a sandwich. She was paying for him to stay at an apartment nearby with 24-hour care.
Liana had found a memory-care facility for Ryan, but the memory-care facility Liana found for Ryan required a down payment before the VA payment started. She faced an incredibly difficult decision about how to pay.
Liana opted to use money set aside for her own rent and utilities. She fell behind on bills. She just needed some help until the VA funds came through. She learned about Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance Program®, which is designed to provide short-term financial help for military families who are experiencing financial hardship.
Thanks to generous donors, Liana was able to fund $7,300 for rent, food assistance, and critical baby items.
Ryan is now at a care facility that is much closer to his family. Liana and the kids—Talulah, 2, Ryder, 4, and Nolan, 8—visit him often. He is still a happy man and enjoys seeing them.
“They have a playground on the grounds, and I have his room set up nice,” she said. “We are able to go in and watch a show together.”
Liana credits Operation Homefront donors for helping to make it happen.
“With other organizations, there isn’t a follow up where someone checks on you and asks how are you going to make this sustainable and how can we be in support of that?” she said. “I was able to get that through Operation Homefront. I had a follow-up financial meeting. I had the caseworker check in on me, and the food card I received has really come in clutch for me during other times when things are tight. This really helped us get to where we are now.”
Since 2011, the national nonprofit has provided more than $46 million through its Critical Financial Assistance Program to help military families stay strong, stable, and secure.
