Teacher, Coach, and Veteran in Need

You hear about veterans who have sacrificed for their nation. You hear about teachers who have sacrificed for their students and about coaches who have sacrificed for their athletes.  Now, you need to hear about Charles Waite, my dad. You see, he is all of these things. He has spent nearly every bit of his adult life serving others. After spending over twenty years in the military, he became a teacher and a coach.

Here’s the odd thing. After numerous deployments and dangerous temporary duty assignments, my dad remained physically unharmed. Like many kids, I thought my dad was invincible. I recently learned he is not.

My strong, physically fit, dad contracted COVID 19 at the Idaho high school where he teaches and coaches. As a complication of the disease, he suffered a massive stroke. The stroke left him paralyzed on the right side of his body and unable to speak. 

The day after my dad was admitted to the hospital his father, my grandpa, was rushed to the emergency room also COVID positive. While my dad’s condition began to stabilize with the effects of the stroke being the main concern, Grandpa’s health deteriorated. After trying everything possible, we realized Grandpa wasn’t going to make it. We wanted to say goodbye before he was gone. We also tried to figure out a way for my dad to say goodbye to his father.

My siblings were able to video call my dad and hold their phone up to the screen of a tablet that was linked to a video chat in my grandpa’s room. Between my dad’s inability to speak and the loud sound of the machines, neither was able to hear or speak to the other. Instead, they had to say their final goodbyes by simply looking at and acknowledging each other and crying.

Later, I had to call my dad and let him know Grandpa was gone. My dad had to take in that devastating, life changing news while all alone in a hospital bed with no way to even express his emotions other than to nod his head showing he understood what I was saying and cry some more.

Now, as my family prepares for my Grandpa’s funeral, we are also trying to figure out the next steps for my dad’s care. He is no longer COVID positive and needs to begin his rehabilitation in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Being retired military on lifelong federal employee insurance, you’d think, as we did, this is an easy move. He’d use his insurance until the rehab benefits end, then be covered by or moved to the VA. Right? Wrong!

My dad does not qualify for VA health benefits yet. See, he is only 58, not 60. He was not disabled while in the line of duty. Additionally, he can’t tell us, and we can’t verify, if he spent any time within 12 miles of a battle. So, as it stands, he does not qualify for benefits through the VA.  

Through his insurance, Dad does qualify for 30 days of rehab each calendar year. With the end of year fast approaching, we are trying to hurry and get him into an SNF quickly before the year end to have a few more than 30 days covered.

Based on Dad’s current state, two weeks after the initial stroke, his doctors say he will need to be in an SNF for at least three months and will likely need rehab services for up to a year. This is long beyond the limits of his insurance. He also has a $5000 deductible each year which renews on January 1st. The average cost of an SNF, that provides the level of care he needs, is around $8,600 a month.

Additionally, we haven’t found an SNF in his area willing to take him due to his insurance or they simply aren’t admitting at this time. As a result, he needs to be transported to an SNF across the state. We are working on our options but have been quoted $5000 for the transportation which is not covered by his insurance.

On top of his medical costs, Dad won’t be able to work for a long time. He was the primary wage earner in his household. My stepmom is a teaching assistant. Not only will it be extremely difficult for her to meet the day to day expenses, it will be hard for her to make the trek across Southern Idaho to visit him during his rehab. Additionally, there will be changes that need to be made to make their home accessible. Dad may even need a special vehicle for transportation.

It is hard for us to do this; however, after looking at all our options and with the urgency of getting our dad into rehab as quickly as possible, we are reaching out to the community for help with his current and future financial needs. We have no idea what the future holds. We are hoping for the best, but until we know, we are doing everything in our power to get him the best care we can.

My dad has given so much of his life in the service of his nation, his state, and his community. We ask, please, help him now in his time of need.

Thank you for reading his story, our story as a family, and considering helping us out in our dire time of need.

I pray you all stay safe and that no one reading this must suffer such devastating and life altering loss as our family has in the last two weeks.
Dad saying goodbye to Grandpa