Fisher House construction to start soon
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| Erica Burrus photo/ Lawrence W. Meyer, secretary of Fisher House in St. Louis, left, Sixth District St. Louis County Counciman John Campisi and James H. Donahoe, president of Fisher House in St. Louis with a $600 donation and an artist's concept of the new Fisher House to be built soon at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Jefferson Barracks. |
Visitors to the JB BLAST 2008 raised $600 for the construction of the Fisher House in St. Louis at the Jefferson Barracks Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
In addition to the $600, American Legion Fenton Memorial Post 400 raised and donated $25,000 toward the effort.Founded by New York City real estate developer Zachary Fisher, Fisher House is a nationwide private-public program that makes homes available to military families so they can stay close to a loved one during hospitalization at VA medical centers across the country.
Jim Donahoe, chairman of Fisher House in St. Louis and a former director of Canteen Services for the VA, said the 16,000-square-foot Fisher House will feature 20 bedroom suites and be able to accommodate 42 guests at a time. He expects construction to start around the end of September and slated for completion one eyar later.
The estimated cost is about $5 million to build and furnish the Fisher House, with the National Fisher House Foundation contributing half the cost. The remaining $2.5 million must be raised locally and so far they have raised about $1.3 million, said Fisher House in St. Louis Secretary Lawrence W. Meyer.
James Merz, commander of Fenton Memorial Post 400, said the Legion's donation came through the "hard work of the Post and the Auxiliary at its weekly Friday Fish Fry and Saturday Bingos."
"We know this is only a small part of the Fisher House at the VA Jefferson Barracks Medical Center and it is our hope this will make others aware of the need and encourage them to donate to the construction of the Fisher House," Merz said.
Most of the 40 Fisher Houses in the U.S. are located at military installations, such as at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Donahoe said, but "as more young men and women return from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries and are medically retired or separated (from military service), they will come to the VA for their medical care for years to come."
The Jefferson Barracks VA Medical Center is now a Level II Regional Polytrauma Center which provides treatment for young veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, mass amputation, shrapnel wounds, vision or hearing loss and mental health issues, Donahoe said.
Treatment is available to all enrolled veterans, as are newer medical services such as open-heart surgery and radiation therapy.
"Although we will see many of the younger veterans, a majority of veterans treated here are still veterans from previous conflicts such as World War II, Korea and Vietnam," Donahoe said. "This gray hair just tells you that we've finally realized that we're no longer invincible, and advancing age means a greater need for medical care."
The next closest Fisher House in located at Fort Campbell, Ky., Donahoe said, and while some patient treatments can last for a few days, others can last for months. With the building of the Fisher House at Jefferson Barracks veterans will be able to come from an eight-state area for treatment.
Family members of veterans being treated at the Veteran's Administration Cocoran Medical Center in St. Louis will also be able to stay at Fisher House.
For more information about Fisher House or to contribute, log onto www.fisherhouseinstl.org or write to Voluntary Service, VA Medical Center, 1 Jefferson Barracks Road, St. Louis, MO 63125.
