Fisher Houses have provided a home away from home for military and veteran families for more than 30 years. As service members, their family members, and veterans receive medical care, their loved ones have found comfort and peace in the 94 Fisher Houses located just steps away from major military and VA medical centers around the world.
This past year, more than 25,000 families stayed at Fisher Houses at no cost to them or used other Foundation programs, saving more than $28 million. Fisher Houses allowed families to be together during the toughest times of their treatment journeys. Since 1990, the impact has been significant as more than 455,000 military and veteran families have stayed in a Fisher House. Along with the Hero Programs and scholarships, Fisher House Foundation has saved our greatest national treasure, our military service men and women and their loved ones, more than $575 million.
Fisher Houses honor the sacrifice and service of our military and veteran heroes and those that stand by their side. They serve veterans of all eras, providing peace of mind and the dignity and respect they deserve while going through medical care. From Vietnam-era veterans to those still serving today, Fisher Houses are here for military and veteran families now and will be here for years to come.
Cover: Active Duty Pararescueman August O’Niell sits with family members that stayed nearby at multiple Fisher Houses throughout his healing journey.
Above: Army veterans Thom and Jack DeLeuw visit the Fort Bragg Army Fisher House. Jack’s father Thom has been Jack’s caregiver throughout his recovery and as he continues to heal after being injured in a motorcycle accident in 2020.
Opposite: Marine veteran Carlos Jimenez enjoys time with his family in between sporting events at Invictus Games: The Hague in April 2022.
In 2011, while attempting to pull a wounded soldier out of a firefight, August O’Niell suffered leg wounds from a burst of machine gun fire in Afghanistan. He spent the next three years attempting to rehabilitate his leg before opting for an amputation. His family was able to stay nearby in a Fisher House throughout his recovery journey.
From first being medically evacuated to Landstuhl, Germany through approximately 20 surgeries at hospitals in Maryland and Texas, his mother, brother, sisters, father, and stepfather all came to support him, usually staying at a nearby Fisher House.
August remains on active duty and continues to serve as an Air Force pararescue jumper. He is also an adaptive athlete. Since his 2011 injury, Fisher House Foundation has been able to support his family members at Warrior Games and Invictus Games where he competed and earned medals in swimming, weightlifting, and team sports.
“Family is the only thing you have, so them being there... it was irreplaceable.” —AUGUST
O’NIELLSince 1990, Fisher Houses have saved more than 455,000 military and veteran families over $575 million.
Hotels for Heroes, which uses donated hotel points, and Hero Miles, which uses donated frequent flier miles to purchase airline tickets, have saved nearly $121 million for military and veteran families since inception.
Jim Graham was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2017, nearly 50 years after he served as a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam. Fortunately, doctors caught his cancer in the early stages.
Jim saw doctors every three months and had his lymph gland surgically removed. Now he schedules a checkup once every six months. Since he and his wife, Susan Dyer, live in Mexico, they travel from their home to San Diego, California, where he receives treatment at the Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
While there, they stay at the Camp Pendleton Fisher House, but when the Fisher House is fully booked, they participate in Fisher House Foundation’s Hotels for Heroes program. The program allows them to stay in a comfortable hotel near Jim's treatment facility until a room opens at the Fisher House.
“[The Hotels for Heroes program] has been a real lifesaver for us.”
—SUSAN DYER
Houses under construction:
C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center—Bay Pines, Florida (second house)
Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital—Columbia, Missouri
Houses in design:
Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center—Atlanta, Georgia
Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center—North Chicago, Illinois
John D. Dingell VA Medical Center—Detroit, Michigan
Hospital de Veteranos (VA Caribbean Healthcare System)—San Juan, Puerto Rico
Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center— Memphis, Tennessee
Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (second house)—San Antonio, Texas 8
Fisher House Foundation awarded over $2.4 million in scholarships in 2022, helping more than 1,200 students achieve their educational goals.
Mikaela Miles has always wanted to fly, and now she flies every day. She starts her days early, but she says that once she is in the air and sees the sunrise, she knows it’s all worth it.
As a freshman at one of the top universities for pilots, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, Mikaela is pursuing a degree in aeronautical science. She hopes to serve in the Air Force upon graduation.
Mikaela and her older sister, Ariana, grew up near San Diego, California with her mom, Shirl, and her dad, retired Marine Tommie Miles. Her sister is going into a medical field like her mom, who is a nurse manager. Tommy retired from the military in 2000, but his service is still impacting his family through Fisher House Foundation’s Scholarships for Military Children.
“The scholarship really did mean a lot to me because, at first, we weren’t even sure if I was going to be able to go to the school because it is pretty expensive. This was another step to my goals.”
—MIKAELA MILESArmy veteran Joel Rodriguez and his wife, Liannie, were stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama, in 2014 when they were in a horrific car accident. While Liannie suffered some minor scratches, Joel was left with a spinal cord injury that made him a quadriplegic.
Joel and his family continue to recover through adaptive sports. His unyielding drive and the support and love of his family brought him to the Invictus Games in The Hague where Joel competed in field, swimming, track, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair rugby.
Liannie feels Joel's love of adaptive sports has made a significant impact on his mental and physical well-being.
“Your mind is focused on doing something and doing something good. And through that, it makes him stronger. It makes all of us stronger to see your spouse just flourishing and shining and having a purpose and living. You go through an injury, and you don’t know what’s going to happen.” —LIANNIE
RODRIGUEZFisher House Foundation has sponsored all Invictus Games and Warrior Games family programs since they began, bringing families together to cheer on their loved ones as they show how far they have come.
Your support has helped keep families together throughout their healing journey. From the first time a loved one sees their military member or veteran after injury or illness to cheering on their recovery at the Invictus Games or Warrior Games to scholarships for family members, we continue to show our gratitude. Through volunteering, donations, fundraisers and more, you ensure this program will be here for generations to come.
Fisher House Foundation thanks you for joining us on the Road to 100 Fisher Houses. Reaching 100 Fisher Houses is a significant milestone and a time to celebrate and reflect. The 100th Fisher House will represent the honor of standing beside service members, veterans, and families and present an opportunity to remember and recognize those we have supported. And while the 100th home is a moment to celebrate, it’s just the start of the next generation of Fisher Houses built to support military and veteran families for years to come. At Fisher House, we know honoring the service and sacrifice of all those who have served in our nation’s uniform is a sacred responsibility and that the loved ones who serve by their side deserve our unwavering support.
100 FISHER HOUSES
Fisher House Foundation thanks you for joining us on the Road to 100 Fisher Houses.
