GREENVILLE, Mich. -- Dozens of families are supporting a West Michigan veteran who served fourteen years as a United States Marine. On Saturday, they joined together to help raise funds for medical treatments for injuries occurring during his time protecting the nation.
Chris Van Dyken, a United States Marine veteran, reacted to the many people who met in Greenville to support and fund medical treatment, and therapy care he needs.
His wife Morgan is one of many who is helping make it happen.
“I’m so thankful for her. With some of the stuff that’s happened in the past, I almost feel like I don’t deserve her,” said Chris. “But she stays beside me, hopes everything is going to be better, and gives me hope.”
During his time in service, he was injured from an r-p-g blast in 2005 in Iraq and in 2009 from an explosion in Afghanistan. Both injuries, caused traumatic brain injuries, creating a number of problems, more than just memory loss.
“Great deal of memory loss. I’ve forgotten much of my childhood, forgotten much of our relationship,” Chris said. “There are times I get anxiety attacks, I lose concentration start stuttering, lose orientation [or] I fall down."
Morgan said seeing everyone at the fundraiser, supporting her husband, is a blessing.
“it’s not even about the money, it’s the prayers, it’s god’s grace that’s been here for us and the people that want to pray over him, pray with us, just be our friends,” Morgan said. “I don’t even have the words to how much thank you to everybody.”
Donations can be made to a PayPal account specifically for Chris's treatments by emailing HopeForChrisUSMC@gmail.com.
