Seriously ill find harbor in Navy's Wounded Warrior Program
12/8/2009
by Zona Lewis
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy's wounded warrior program doesn't just support combat wounded Sailors, Navy Safe Harbor also supports seriously ill and injured service members as well as Sailors wounded in combat.

"A Sailor that falls down a ladder on a ship and is left a quadriplegic is no less injured than a Sailor injured in combat that is left a quadriplegic," said Capt. Oakley "Key" Watkins, director, Navy Safe Harbor. "Seriously ill and injured Sailors and Coast Guardsmen are dealing with the same non-medical issues as combat wounded Sailors. Their pay and personnel issues, administrative issues, and physical and medical evaluation board processes are similar."

Safe Harbor is the Navy's lead organization for coordinating the non-medical care of seriously wounded, ill, and injured Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and their families. Recovery care coordinators and non-medical care managers provide a lifetime of individually tailored assistance designed to optimize the success of the service member's recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration activities.

As a healthy young man with no family history of heart disease, no one was more surprised to learn that he was going to need a heart transplant than 19-year-old Fire Controlman David Kennedy.

Kennedy was serving aboard the USS Boxer (LHD 4) when he had to be medically evacuated to Tripler Army Medical Center in Oahu, Hawaii. It was there that a
doctor told him that he had congestive heart failure.

"I definitely took my youth for granted," said Kennedy.

Due to the seriousness of his medical condition he was then transferred from Hawaii to Stanford Hospital, Calif., for treatment and to await his transplant. It was there that Kennedy first learned about Navy Safe Harbor.

"Senior Chief Pitts came by to see me and explained the program," said Kennedy. "That's when I became enrolled. After that he stopped by once a week to visit me, and as I got more and more critical he came by more often."

Seniot Chief Culinary Specialist (SS) James Pitts, Navy Safe Harbor Non-medical Care manager, assisted Kennedy with his non-medical needs, including pay and orders.

"I made sure that he was getting what he was entitled to receive," said Pitts.

Pitts also assisted Kennedy's parents, Doug and Bronwyn Kennedy.

"David's mom's invitational travel orders expired when David was released from the hospital, but he still needed a caregiver for three months following the transplant in case he began to show signs of organ rejection and needed to get back to the hospital quickly," said Pitts. "I worked to get her ITOs switched to non-medical attendant orders."

Non-medical attendant orders provide allowances for funding travel, meals, and lodging.

Pitts added, "I wanted to make sure that I was there for David and his parents. His mother gave up her job [to provide bedside and recovery care]. Although she really didn't say, "this is what I expect of you," when someone gives up a job to be with their child, they at least want to know that you care, too."

"Without Safe Harbor these past few months I am not sure what would have happened to us and I will always be grateful for the support we received from them," said Kennedy's mother, Bronwyn Kennedy.

Kennedy's non-medical care manager also introduced him and his dad to the local Veteran's Affairs benefits advisor.

"Senior Chief Pitts really helped me out a lot [after the transplant]," said Kennedy. "He took me to the VA hospital in Palo Alto and introduced me to the VA benefits guy; he really gave me a good prospective on how the VA works and how the disability evaluation process goes."

Due to the seriousness of his medical condition Kennedy is in the process of being medically retired from active duty.

"[The transplant] has definitely changed my perspective on life," said Kennedy. "I feel very passionate now about helping others who have the same condition."

Originally Kennedy planned on becoming a Navy Machinist's Mate, and upon retirement possibly work on cruise liners. However, his career plans took a sharp turn after the transplant.

"Eight days after my transplant I was walking around talking to other patients in the cardiac unit," said Kennedy.

Now he wants to become a doctor or a therapist so he can help others with congestive heart failure.

"I can genuinely say, 'I know what you're going through; I have been there before," he said.

Kennedy has also become an advocate for organ donation. "One person can potentially save nine lives."

For more information about the Navy Safe Harbor program visit the Safe Harbor Web site, www.safeharbor.navy.mil , call the 24/7 Call Center at 1-877-746-8563, or join Navy Safe Harbor on Facebook.