Oklahoma resident to advocate for the 5.5 million Hidden Heroes caring for
wounded, ill, and injured veterans
Photo Courtesy of 2020 Dole Caregiver Fellow Maghan Spring
Washington, D.C. (May 4, 2020) — The Elizabeth Dole Foundation announced Maghan Spring of Skiatook will join its 2020 class of Dole Caregiver Fellows – 30 military and veteran caregivers who have been carefully selected from across the country to represent those Americans caring for a wounded, ill, or injured service member or veteran at home. The role of these Fellows has never been more important as caregivers are under unprecedented stress due to the threat of the coronavirus.
As a Dole Caregiver Fellow, Spring will serve as a leader, community organizer, and advocate for the nation’s 5.5 million military caregivers – the spouses, parents, family members, and friends who provide more than $14 billion in voluntary care annually to someone who served. They will join the 225 past and present Fellows who are trained by the Foundation and empowered to share their stories and perspectives directly with national leaders in the White House, Congress, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government agencies, as well as decision makers in the business, entertainment, faith, and nonprofit sectors. The Fellows will provide feedback to the Foundation, its coalition partners, and government and community leaders on the most pressing issues concerning military caregivers and influence positive change on behalf of these hidden heroes.
“Our eighth class of Dole Caregiver Fellows is bringing a new set of unique voices to our mission, but all share similar stories of strength, resilience, and hope in caring for their wounded warriors,” said Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. “As they care for their veteran, we are grateful for their experiences, wisdom, and willingness to come together and advocate for their fellow hidden heroes. They are the heart and soul of our work.”
Spring serves as a caregiver for her husband, who sustained a crushed acetabulum, a broken leg, large tissue loss and more as a result of his military service. Her story is linked here and pasted below.
Senator Elizabeth Dole created the Dole Caregiver Fellows program in 2012 to directly engage military and veteran caregivers in the Foundation’s mission. The 2020 Fellows class includes loved ones whose service members and veterans represent all branches of service and different eras of peace and conflict. The 2020 class represents 23 states and includes a retired father caring for his daughter and her son, an occupational therapist who took on her own fiancé’s full-time care, and a wife who assumed care of her husband and pulled them back from the brink of homelessness.
If you are interested in conducting an interview with Spring, or with a spokesperson from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, please contact Austin Courtney at austin@elizabethdolefoundation.org.
About the Elizabeth Dole Foundation & Hidden Heroes
Elizabeth Dole Foundation is the preeminent organization empowering, supporting, and honoring our nation’s 5.5 million military caregivers – the spouses, parents, family members, and friends — who care for America’s wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans at home. Founded by Senator Elizabeth Dole in 2012, the Foundation adopts a comprehensive approach in its support and advocacy, working with leaders in the public, private, nonprofit, and faith communities to recognize military caregivers’ service and promote their well-being. The Foundation’s Hidden Heroes campaign brings vital attention to the untold stories of military caregivers and provides a network for military caregivers to connect with their peers and access carefully vetted resources. Visit www.hiddenheroes.org for more information.
About Maghan Spring
Maghan Spring remembers when she received news that her husband, Chapman, was in critical condition after the aircraft he was piloting crashed into the side of a ship, then plunged into the ocean during a training exercise. She was living in Japan with their five children, their youngest a two-week-old daughter.
Her husband was flown to Australia to undergo emergency surgery. Maghan and the baby joined him in Australia, leaving her other children in the care of friends, and after a month of multiple surgeries they were transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a month of inpatient treatment and more surgeries. While assuming the role of advocate for her husband’s medical care, without anyone to guide her, Maghan also had to coordinate moving her other children and household across the ocean to reunite their family. Chapman needed his complete family around him to heal, each day they were apart was more difficult than the last. It was an emotionally stressful time, but Maghan and Chapman were comforted by their faith in God and supported by local friends and foundations. Their children finally arrived at Walter Reed, not knowing that they would never again return to live in Japan.
In the months to follow, Maghan supported her husband with dressing changes, activities of daily living, and, most importantly, a listening ear and voice of reason. Fortunately, he has made great progress in healing and continues to thrive. Maghan still finds herself helping with stretch routines and seeks to be available to listen and talk him through emotional swings resulting from the crash. In addition to her role as a caregiver, Maghan also homeschools their children, volunteers at her church, and leads a local co-op.
They continue to feel daily the consequences of their life being turned upside down from the rapid, life-altering changes. Maghan often struggles to meet the needs of her age-diverse family as a result of the injuries, separation, and subsequent move. However, her strong faith in God has empowered her as a wife, mother, and caregiver.
Maghan is passionate about encouraging other caregivers, especially immediately after an accident, to be present with their veteran, to listen, and to smile. She also wants to help improve the military’s emergency response for families by making it easier and less costly to reunite following a significant injury. She hopes to use her experience to shed light on what is working and what needs reform.
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