I knew we picked a great town to move to, but I never thought I would need support from so many friends as badly as I did last week. I thank all the wonderful people for their thoughts, prayers, and kind actions.
Last week, my sister, Deborah Studer, took her life. Most of you never met her, yet the outpouring of love was so great. I would like to tell you how wonderful my sister Debbie was, because she needs to be recognized. The cliché “you never know a person until they die” is so true, even for a sister close to that person. I learned so much about Debbie during her celebration of life. During her 12 years at the Tampa VA hospital, she worked as a licensed clinical social worker supervisor. Four years ago, she helped build the polytrauma unit where she remained passionate and committed to serving our soldiers and their families as they returned from war with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. I am inspired by her and so proud of what she was able to do for our soldiers and their families: she made a difference.
More than 380 people showed up at the ceremony, 150 from the VA family, including a Navy commander, dressed in uniform. Two chiefs of staff and several department heads told compelling stories about Debbie, including her recent presentation to the vice president and secretary of defense on policy improvements for transitional care. Most touching was a mother—there with her 23-year-old son, a wounded soldier—who talked from her heart about Debbie’s compassion for the families; she kept calling Debbie “their guardian angel” for all she did for these young soldiers. I found comfort in knowing that Debbie died giving. In my heart she is another casualty of war and also a hero. We will never know why she did what she did. I can only believe that the stress of the war weighed too heavily on her. What matters now is to move forward and to make a difference.
Jen Schoenberg and family
Myrick Lane
