Gunnery sergeant's family faces uncertain future
March 02,2004
CYNDI BROWN
DAILY NEWS STAFF

As each tour of duty with the Marine Corps would near its end, Christopher Fritts and his wife of 12 years, Dana, would consider if that one should be his last.

"Every enlistment it was like should we stay in or get out," said Dana, 35. But as Chris, a gunnery sergeant, neared retirement, Dana added, "This one, it was like no issue."

Now, however, the choice is no longer theirs to make.

Chris, 33, went in for surgery to remove a tumor from his spine Oct. 1. The family was told he would be home the next week. Five months later, he's still undergoing treatment at Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Va. and is classified as an "incomplete quadriplegic" (he has some movement in his hands) as a result of the surgery. He's in the process of being medically separated from service, and the family has no idea when he will able to come home.

But first he has to go through four to six weeks of radiation, followed by a month or so of rehabilitation to make up for any ground lost during that treatment.

"That's the thing. They didn't get it all," said a frustrated Dana. "When he had the surgery, we really felt he was coming out of there in a week."

Dana said they were told the surgery would never touch the spinal cord, but major portions of it have been cut away. Some segments are nine-tenths covered in scar tissue that she said was directly related to the surgery.

"I'm not a vindictive person, but no one's going to be accountable for this. I think that's what bothers us," said Dana. "If we could go back and do it all over again, we would have done it differently."

Chris, the logistics chief for 2nd Marine Division, Headquarters Battalion, was experiencing constant tingling in his fingers when the couple pushed for an MRI, which revealed the tumor. They were told it was ependymoma, which account for more than half of all spinal tumors.

The Fritts wanted a second opinion. That's when they were told the tumor was malignant.

"I saw the MRI and believed what they said," said Dana. "We went around two weeks thinking he had a tumor he was going to die from." There is still, however, a 50-50 chance the tumor will return; and Chris, who has lost nearly 40 pounds, will require more surgery and annual checkups.

The family, which also includes Jessica, 11; Dylan, 5; and Jacob, 3, will require some adjustments of its own. The Fritts family will need to adapt their home for the wheelchair-bound Chris and purchase a specially-adapted van. The VA has already approved two grants - one for the home and one toward a car. However, the vehicle grant alone is about $19,000 short of what the van is estimated to cost. They have received some private donations, Chris's unit collected money at Christmas and the family's church has also tried to help. But, still, they're coming up short.

"It's very overwhelming. We have never wanted for money," said Dana, as she gestures around their well-maintained home. "It's weird."

But the family's expenses will continue to mount as they adjust to the change in their lives.

While Dana said she has tried to get the kids to look at it like their Marine dad is deployed, "Christmas," when Chris made his first, and so far only, visit home, "was a reality for us."

She said he spent the first two days of the visit "moping." Then he shared his decision.

He wanted them to move to Ohio, near his family.

"He'll feel more comfortable near his family," said Dana. "I think there's safety in being home for him."

Until then, Dana tries to visit Chris in the hospital every few weeks. This past weekend, the stay-at-home mom made a surprise visit while grandma watched the children. Usually, though, the homeschooled kids go with her.

There, in the halls of the VA center, Chris races Dylan in what the 5 year old calls the "rolly" chairs. Chris also makes a train, with his chair in front and the children rolling behind.

"I think that's who he really is," said Dana. "He was a good Marine, a wonderful daddy. Chris is the kind of dad who came home and participated."

He did so even at Christmas, riding down the street with his children or running his wheelchair into walls to get a laugh.

"It felt more normal, actually, having him home. It felt weird having him gone," said Jessica, who fondly remembered her dad's nightly readings of the Nutcracker during that time. Although, she laughed shyly, he had to keep reminding her to turn the pages for him. "I miss him a lot. I'm just excited about him coming home and getting back in our routine."

That, said Dana, might take some getting used to. "It'll be a big change finding his new place and finding our new place."

Dana said that, for the most part, she and the kids "have done OK."

For Chris, however, it's been a little spottier.

"I think he's just hanging in there, trying to get through it. He has his ups and downs. I think he does believe God has a plan. I believe he'll come out with a good spirit," said Dana, crediting their faith for the family's strength.

"God's been working on my faith the whole marriage. We've been through a lot," said Dana.

Their second child was born two months prematurely and died soon after birth. The stress strained the marriage, and the couple briefly split up. Dylan was also born early and spent time on a ventilator. And their youngest, Jacob, is autistic.

"A lot of people say to us, 'You're so good. You don't deserve this,'" said Dana. "I don't see it as we're getting punished. We don't see it like that." Instead, she said, they see it as a test.

"I believe (God) has a purpose," said Dana, who couldn't say what that purpose could be.

"I don't know that that's for me to know," she said. "I've learned whenever there's a moment I can't handle, give it to God. Most moments (though) are so filled with joy. Most people don't understand it. I don't understand it."


Monetary donations can be made to the Van Account set up in the Chris and Dana Fritts's name at Marine Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1551, Jacksonville, N.C. 28541-1551. For information, contact Dana at 326-4472 or e-mail her at cfritts@ec.rr.com.


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