Painting Brings Joy to Severely Injured Warrior and His Wife By Rachel Bolles Life can change in an instant, taking away the independence we’ve become accustomed to. Fernando Martinez spent more than 15 years defending our nation’s freedoms in the Marine Corps Reserve until a wreck took away his personal independence. The driver fell asleep, and Fernando sustained two traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in the crash. He lost his ability to speak, so now he communicates with facial expressions, hand-waving, eye-rolling, and grunting. He also points to phrases, such as “I love you,” “yes,” and “no,” or letters to spell out words. “He can say certain small words with prompting, as I believe he forgets he has the ability to speak,” said Suzanne, Fernando’s wife.
“Our lives have to be planned accordingly these days,” Suzanne said. “We miss out on a lot of functions that don’t involve people with injuries. Shopping and eating out are the highlights of the week for the two of us together.” Fernando and Suzanne initially faced this new reality with nursing help from VA. Suzanne managed all his therapy. “He will never be the person I married, but there is always room for improvement, no matter how small,” she said.
Fernando is also wheelchair-bound, which limits his and Suzanne’s chances to travel and do usual errands.
“Art has allowed him to speak and express himself without words.” - Suzanne Martinez 16
WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / July 2021
