Barbara McNally, author of "Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife"
Cover of Barbara McNally's book and logo for her foundation, with images for lover, mother, warrior, sage
Barbara McNally was a licensed physical therapist working with veterans to help them adjust to the effects of serious injuries and through that work she learned about the tremendous challenges that military members wounded in the line of duty face. Several years ago, as she was driving across the Coronado Bridge, a motorist in front of her stopped his car, got out, and then, to her horror, jumped off the bridge. She later learned that the motorist was a veteran who left behind a wife and children. Barbara vowed to devote herself to helping ensure that no other veteran would feel such despair that s/he would be driven to suicide.
Barbara began her talk with a short video featuring wounded veterans talking about the thanks they get from strangers, and the spotlight that shines on them, but no one shines a spotlight on those who also deserve thanks and praise: the spouses and family members of these wounded warriors. In an effort to increase the recognition for families of wounded military, Barbara launched the Barbara McNally Foundation, the logo for which includes images that represent qualities of many military caregivers: Lover, Mother, Warrior, Sage. Her foundation seeks to empower these caregivers, particularly women, to gain the knowledge and courage they need to support and advocate for their wounded warriors.
Copies of Barbara’s book, “Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife: Not Just Surviving But Thriving” were at each table at our October 2, 2018 meeting. The book tells the stories of many wives whose lives were changed by injuries their husbands sustained, and how they grew and changed in response to the needs of their husbands. For many of these couples, their relationships changed in ways they never could have imagined, and were the richer for the experience.
A major project of the Barbara McNally foundation is co-sponsorship of Support, Purpose & Appreciation (SPA) days. At SPA days, caregivers get a much-needed rest and take time to focus on themselves, sometimes for the first time in years. SPA days give women the opportunity to connect with others who are going through similar experiences, and share how they’ve coped with the challenges they face. Although hundreds of women apply to be a part of SPA days, only a small fraction can be accommodated. Many of our members who attended the meeting gave donations to allow more women to attend SPA days. Donations can also be made through Barbara’s website. We congratulate Barbara on recognizing this important issue, and for her actions to ensure that the caregivers receive recognition for the invaluable services they perform.