Despair turns to hope when Marines, civilians join to help family

Marines are fond of the self-description “no better friend; no worse enemy.”

A Jacksonville Marine said he has experienced both sides of that dichotomy with military and veterans healthcare in his battle to get treatment for severe post-traumatic stress disorder and recurring seizures caused by a traumatic brain injury.

During his first deployment to Iraq, from Oct. 2006 to Feb. 2007, Lance Cpl. David Brown, now 23, earned the nickname “mortar magnet” for his knack of being in the wrong place at the right time. After a few close encounters with the blasts, one mortar blew up in his face, rattling his brain, knocking him out and blanking his memory of the time surrounding the incident.

Later in the deployment, a Marine buddy, fatally wounded by an improvised explosive device, died in his arms, making the injuries he would carry with him back to the states emotional as well as physical.

Brown’s wife Brooke said her husband returned home displaying classic symptoms of PTSD: anger, increased use of tobacco and alcohol and depression. He also suffered from head-splitting migraines and a sensitivity to light that forced him to wear sunglasses even indoors, although he seemed physically healthy otherwise.

Brown deployed to Iraq again from late 2007 to May 2008. In September, Brooke said, she witnessed David’s first grand mal seizure during an evening at home: He foamed at the mouth, lost control of his bowels and could not speak. The couple rushed to the Naval Hospital where they said medical personnel ran tests, did a spinal tap and finally released him with light duty orders.

Accounts differ on the events of the remainder of Brown’s contract in the Corps, culminating with the completion of his active service in June 2009. The Browns aver that because David’s major seizures were spaced far apart — the second grand mal happened in November — and he was able to function normally between attacks, some of the officers leading his unit, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, believed he was faking the ailment and treated him accordingly.

Following his release from the hospital after his first seizure, David Brown said his unit confined him to his barracks room while the company was out on field exercises, unmonitored and away from Brooke and their Jacksonville home.

Unit officials said this never took place.

“In regards to the claims of an unlawful confinement, a preliminary inquiry was conducted and the allegations were not substantiated to rate further inquiry,” officials told The Daily News.

Col. Eric Smith, commanding officer for Regimental Combat Team 8, of which 2/8 is a tenant command, said “I find no substantiation for these allegations and am not pursuing a further investigation.”

Officials also contested allegations of belittling any Marine’s injuries.

“We realize that the mental health of a Marine is just as important as his physical health and will continue to educate all Marines on the resources available to them as well as treat them for any condition they may have,” they said. “We cannot reveal details of any Marine’s personal medical record. However, any Marine who deploys undergoes screening and is able to take advantage of a wide range of services for combat stress related issues.”

Brown continued to have intermittent smaller seizures for the remainder of his active-duty career. Prior to his release for terminal leave in May 2009, he was medically examined by a corpsman and determined fit for discharge. But life outside the Corps found him unable to hold a job because of his continuing seizures and post-traumatic stress and struggling to provide for his pregnant wife and two small children.

Now Brown’s medical care was provided through the department of Veterans Affairs; and without health insurance, getting the care he needed proved to be expensive and daunting. Fees for a handful of ambulance rides and emergency room visits in the aftermath of grand mal seizures came out of their own pockets, and the family rapidly acquired $10,000 in debt. Getting treatment through the system proved challenging at every turn. Brown’s seizures, which could not be induced, required extensive neurological testing; and after receiving VA approval for “short term outpatient care” with a local neurologist, the family learned that only three appointments would be covered.

At the nadir of this period, Brooke said, her once fun-loving and light-hearted husband put a shotgun in his mouth.

“At the time, we didn’t know much about a TBI. We just knew that he got hit while standing post in theater,” she said. “We’re like, what do we do? There’s nothing that we can do, because we couldn’t afford $10,000 worth of medical bills.”

After the birth of the Browns’ third child, the couple enrolled for a visit from a nurse with the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society.

Whitney Jezek-Power, a combat casualty assistance nurse with the program, said a discerning nurse who visited the family realized immediately that the family faced more challenges than the care of a newborn.

“When talking to them she realized they needed more assistance than just the visiting nurse,” she said. “They needed the combat casualty assistance program.”

Jezek-Power made calls and quickly helped to assemble a military and civilian coalition of professionals that she called “Team Brown.”

“He was just having a lot of trouble getting into the system, so we helped him get into the system,” Jezek-Power said. “The Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society offering this free home visit kind of opened the door for everyone. I guess the thing for me is we didn’t let them slip through the cracks. The team has worked really hard to bring this service member completely up to speed, with pay, with benefits. We got him 100 percent through the VA and trying to get all his pay straight.”

Capt. Charlie Hall, district injured support coordinator for the Wounded Warrior Regiment, also picked up the family’s case.

“I think the communication with the VA was probably the biggest challenge,” he said. “Just like everything, else, both parties have to be involved, both the veteran and the VA, and they have to do their part. In David’s case, I feel like that wasn’t necessarily happening with the VA.”

A spokesman for the Fayetteville VA Medical Center, Ed Rohan, said, “Unfortunately, due to privacy laws, we cannot comment on individual cases.”

Another member of Team Brown, Marine Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell, a fervent advocate for wounded warriors, reached out to commandant-select Gen. James Amos on behalf of the family.

In July of this year, the Browns got the call: David had been returned to active-duty status for a year in order to become a part of the Wounded Warrior Battalion and receive care through the military.

“If they could call him back to war they could. Why couldn’t they call him back to fix this?” Jezek-Power asked.

Brooke Brown said the family finally felt they had stopped floundering.

“It feels great to be able to know that there are some people out there that care,” she said. “It’s better late than never, and they’re wonderful.”

In addition to helping them return to active duty, Hall worked with Paul Davis Restoration in Wilmington to give the family a free home makeover, worth about $4,000 plus labor.

Scott Nicholas, marketing manager for Paul Davis, said the project would not have happened without Hall’s persistence.

“They’re perfect candidates,” Nicholas said. “They just feel really blessed to have been selected.”

The Browns said now they just wanted to help other wounded veterans the way they had been helped.

“I want to get better,” David said, “so that I can help anyone in the Army or Marines or Navy or Air Force … to get better.”

Contact military reporter Hope Hodge at 910-219-8453 or hhodge@freedomenc.com.