3 minute read
GUEST FAMILY PROFILE: Navy Lt. Brad Snyder
Story and photos by Ashley Estill
NAME: SNYDER FAMILY
HOUSE: CHARLIE NORWOOD VA MEDICAL CENTER – AUGUSTA, GA
HOME STATE: FLORIDA
MILITARY BRANCH: NAVY
To date, Fisher Houses have provided over five million nights of lodging to more than 180,000 families since the Fisher House program began. For wounded, injured or ill service members, that means having your family by your side when you need them the most.
Navy Lt. Brad Snyder is just one of those service members who had his family by his side during his road to recovery.
“In September 2011, I was embedded with an assault unit based in Kandahar, Afghanistan,” Brad explained. “On patrol from one village to another, two of our Afghan soldier brothers were injured pretty badly in an IED accident. I was rendering aid and failed to identify a secondary device. In the ensuing blast, I sustained serious injuries to my face and broke my hand.”
Unfortunately, Brad lost his vision.
Because Brad’s injuries were limited from the neck down, he was able to get back into the rehab setting pretty quickly at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Physically able to begin rehabilitation is just one part of the process; coming to terms with your “new normal” is another.
“A week went by before I was able to grasp what was going on and identify with the fact that I was going to be blind for the rest of my life,” Brad said. “The support I received from my family and friends was incredible and left me no choice but to move on.”
Indeed, Brad moved on and recovered well enough to participate in the 2012 Warrior Games, just eight months after his injury. A swimmer at the Naval Academy, Brad participated in both swimming and track and field at the games in Colorado Springs, winning seven gold medals total. He won four medals in swimming and three in track and field. Brad then went on to London for the 2012 Paralympic Games and won two gold medals and one silver, all for swimming.
Getting to that point wasn’t easy, but Brad had his family by his side helping him get there.
Brad’s family stayed at the Augusta Fisher House while Brad was going through therapy – they were just a short walk away from the hospital. It wasn’t just the proximity of the house to Brad, but the community support they received while at the Fisher House.
“My mom, sister and brother all benefitted from Hero Miles and Fisher House,” Brad said. “It allowed my family to participate in my recovery. I learned braille with my sister. That was important because for myself, adapting to blindness isn’t so difficult.
I have no choice. I live it. The next best thing is to have my family there with me while I’m learning. It’s brought us together in a big way.”
For Brad it was important to have his family there to see that he would be okay. He wasn’t going to struggle or trip and fall forever – his mom, brother and sister were able to see Brad learn and succeed. While Brad’s family helped him, they had a community of people also willing to help.
“When my sister was at the Fisher House in Augusta everyday people from the community who were so touched by what was going on, would bring chili, cornbread and crockpot recipes to the house,” Brad said.
“The Fisher House is that rally point for personal outreach and it’s so powerful,” he continued. “Fisher House is so local and engaged at the community level. They make it so easy to be involved or benefit from the benevolence of the community. These wonderful families share their stories and that’s so powerful when you need it the most.”
