Eva and Joseph Briseno

In 2003, Eva and Joseph's 20-year-old son, Army Reservist Joseph "Jay" Briseno Jr., had been in Iraq less than three months when he was shot in the back of the neck at point-blank range. Jay was treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, VA. The bullet severed Jay's spinal cord, paralyzing him from his chin down. He also suffered two cardiac arrests, resulting in blindness and brain injury. Jay survived, but was unable to move, speak or eat on his own. He was ventilator-dependent and paralyzed. "There are many newly wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan," says Joseph. "Most are not familiar on how to navigate the system... Their families need to stick together. They need to stay strong as a family. Our technology is better and there are more resources when it comes to SCI and TBI." Joseph feels the VA can offer phenomenal medical services, but cannot do all the work alone (especially for TBI and for vets with complex injuries such as his son's). "We've become Jay's voice, his eyes, his ears. We keep screaming and fighting for him." As to rejections of any kind, be it coverage, service or belief, Joseph says, "Whenever we hear ‘No, no, no.' We say, "Yes, yes, yes."