BETHESDA, Md.  –   For many injured service members who return from combat, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center can become a home away from home. They and their families may spend an extended period at the facility in recovery due to their injuries. Even after leaving, they often return repeatedly for continuous rehabilitation because of the specialized care Walter Reed provides. This can foster a sense of closeness and camaraderie between the patients and medical staff, creating a family-like atmosphere found in few other hospitals.

One such family is that of Army Capt. Luis Avila and his wife Claudia.

While serving his fifth tour of duty in Afghanistan, Avila was critically injured in an Improvised Explosive Device attack on December 27, 2011. He lost a leg, suffered a traumatic brain injury and a fractured spine. He also survived multiple cardiac events, two strokes and experienced three instances of clinical death. When he was first brought to Walter Reed he remained in a coma for 40 days. During this period, Avila was constantly surrounded by his family -- wife Claudia and their three sons, Luis Jr., Jose and Miguel.

“When we first came to Walter Reed after my husband was wounded, I was living on the fourth floor in Building 10 for almost three years,” said Claudia. “Our kids were in elementary, middle and high school. My Walter Reed family helped me to take care of our children at the same time. They would allow them to be with us in the ICU.”

Once Avila woke from his coma, the extent of his injuries required him to remain at Walter Reed for four years. Claudia and the family resided on the base to be with him for the duration of his recovery, and she became his primary caregiver and advocate. Over that time, a true bond developed between the Avilas and their Walter Reed caregivers.

“The fact is we are so blessed to come to what we call our Walter Reed family…our military healthcare system family,” said Claudia. “Just to be able to be here and witness what other people do when they arrive, and what it takes to get them to the next stage of their journey. We’ve walked through our own steps during my husband’s journey. It not only makes us better, but it helps us appreciate and have so much gratitude for the staff.”

In their time at Walter Reed, the Avilas have met numerous national leaders. Claudia treats each meeting as an opportunity to advocate not only for her husband, but for the veterans, the other patients at Walter Reed and especially for the hospital and its staff.

“The thing we have to remember is that each of us, as military spouses, caregivers and advocates, we should never miss an opportunity,” said Claudia. “When we’re in front of our leaders, we should always highlight the good things that are being done, and we should request assistance to get past the barriers that we face. We don’t do it to complain. We do it to create awareness of what needs to get better. To restore the readiness of the force and to empower Walter Reed’s staff so they have the resources to provide a better quality of care.”

Over the years, the Avilas have become important members of the Walter Reed community. Avila’s story, combined with his participation in competitive sports and national events, has repeatedly brought him into the public eye. Claudia uses that focus to actively broadcast her message about the importance of what Walter Reed means for its patients and the support the hospital needs to continue providing its critical care.

“There are no metrics to measure what the staff does at Walter Reed,” said Claudia. “When we talk about complexity and multidisciplinary services, especially regarding combat wounded service members, you can’t compare the quality of therapy the hospital provides to restore injured service members’ lives to a better condition.”

Unfortunately, Avila’s injuries will require him to remain an active patient at Walter Reed for some time to come. The Avila family is grateful that they have developed such a strong connection with the doctors, nurses and caregivers at the facility.

“I always tell people that where there is a wounded service member there is a wounded family,” concluded Claudia. “They say that our service members are the backbone of our nation. That means the caregivers and our military spouses and families are the backbones of our service members. We always need to make sure that we take care of everyone equally, but how do we do that? Not by words, by actions. And that’s why, for me, everyone at Walter Reed is part of my extended family.”