thedrifter
04-21-08, 07:51 AM
Founder Of A Soldier's Wish List Gets Her Wish
Last Edited: Sunday, 20 Apr 2008, 4:33 PM CDT
Created: Saturday, 19 Apr 2008, 9:02 PM CDT
By Teresa Woodard
(KTVI - myFOXstl.com) --
A woman in north St. Louis County just wants to make soldier's wishes come true. Now her biggest wish is granted. Her son is home. But her efforts to fill other needs will continue.
"It's like I'm a mother to 30,000 troops," says Julieann Najar. She started "A Soldiers Wish List" because of her son, Sgt. Dennis Cabanting.
Her grass-root organization has tremendously grown. She now gets emails every day from dozens of soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen requesting things they can not get in the war zone. She's sent thousands of packages with everything from cookies to water guns. She even found a way to get pizza, golf clubs, and golf balls to her so-called kids.
But her favorite kid is home, for good.
"It's one less I have to worry about," she says, smiling, "for right now."
Saturday night Julieann had a party for Dennis. Family and friends came by to say hello.
"It feels great, it really does," says Dennis, looking across his mom's backyard.
It was more than a welcome home party, it was also happy birthday for Dennis. Birthdays are really special when you've come close to death. An IED blew up his vehicle in Iraq.
"Destroyed my vehicle altogether," he says. "Only managed to save two weapons and two bags, two personal bags."
"I feel good. I take every day, day by day." His days in the war zone were comforted knowing his mom was comforting so many others.
He says, in Iraq, word's out about her.
"My mom sent me a bunch of business cards at my request and I had them all sign up," he says of his fellow soldiers. "If they needed something they couldn't get in country, they ask my mom."
While recovering from his injuries, Dennis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. So his military career is officially over.
"It's tough to readjust. The military has been part of my life for over 14 years. Now that I don't have that, I don't know what I'm going to do," he says.
Julieann knows what she wants Dennis to do. He is home, but thousands are not.
"Dennis is really the reason I started this and now he can help me continue to keep doing it," she says. "This is every day and it will be for the rest of my life. I can't quit just because my son is home, it's just the beginning really."
A Soldier's Wish List is already beginning to raise money for Christmas '08! If you want to help, go to asoldierswishlist.org.
Ellie
Last Edited: Sunday, 20 Apr 2008, 4:33 PM CDT
Created: Saturday, 19 Apr 2008, 9:02 PM CDT
By Teresa Woodard
(KTVI - myFOXstl.com) --
A woman in north St. Louis County just wants to make soldier's wishes come true. Now her biggest wish is granted. Her son is home. But her efforts to fill other needs will continue.
"It's like I'm a mother to 30,000 troops," says Julieann Najar. She started "A Soldiers Wish List" because of her son, Sgt. Dennis Cabanting.
Her grass-root organization has tremendously grown. She now gets emails every day from dozens of soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen requesting things they can not get in the war zone. She's sent thousands of packages with everything from cookies to water guns. She even found a way to get pizza, golf clubs, and golf balls to her so-called kids.
But her favorite kid is home, for good.
"It's one less I have to worry about," she says, smiling, "for right now."
Saturday night Julieann had a party for Dennis. Family and friends came by to say hello.
"It feels great, it really does," says Dennis, looking across his mom's backyard.
It was more than a welcome home party, it was also happy birthday for Dennis. Birthdays are really special when you've come close to death. An IED blew up his vehicle in Iraq.
"Destroyed my vehicle altogether," he says. "Only managed to save two weapons and two bags, two personal bags."
"I feel good. I take every day, day by day." His days in the war zone were comforted knowing his mom was comforting so many others.
He says, in Iraq, word's out about her.
"My mom sent me a bunch of business cards at my request and I had them all sign up," he says of his fellow soldiers. "If they needed something they couldn't get in country, they ask my mom."
While recovering from his injuries, Dennis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. So his military career is officially over.
"It's tough to readjust. The military has been part of my life for over 14 years. Now that I don't have that, I don't know what I'm going to do," he says.
Julieann knows what she wants Dennis to do. He is home, but thousands are not.
"Dennis is really the reason I started this and now he can help me continue to keep doing it," she says. "This is every day and it will be for the rest of my life. I can't quit just because my son is home, it's just the beginning really."
A Soldier's Wish List is already beginning to raise money for Christmas '08! If you want to help, go to asoldierswishlist.org.
Ellie