{"id":26614,"date":"2020-12-17T14:18:15","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T14:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cmshub.wpengine.com\/?p=329953"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:15:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:15:51","slug":"green-beret-with-lung-cancer-surprised-with-hundreds-of-thank-you-notes-and-mortgage-free-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/green-beret-with-lung-cancer-surprised-with-hundreds-of-thank-you-notes-and-mortgage-free-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Beret With Lung Cancer Surprised With Hundreds Of \u2018Thank You\u2019 Notes And Mortgage-Free Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

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U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Richard Stayskal beams as he points to a paper heart stapled to a 2\u00d74 in his home under construction. It\u2019s one of hundreds of \u201cthank you\u201d notes and drawings sent to the service member from across Moore County, North Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t, usually, get too emotional about a lot of stuff, but you know, it\u2019s something special when people across the country are reaching out to you,\u201d Stayskal told ABC11<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"US<\/span>
Source: YouTube\/Op FINALLY HOME
US Army Sergeant First Class Richard Stayskal was instrumental in getting the Stayskal Act signed into law.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The notes accompanied the mortgage-free home given to the Green Beret and his family through Operation FINALLY HOME<\/a>, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to building homes for wounded, ill or injured veterans, and their families. It also marks a year since President Trump signed the Stayskal Act<\/a> into law, making military members eligible for compensation when malpractice is committed in military facilities. Previously, the Feres doctrine prevented members of the military from suing for malpractice under any condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Stayskal<\/span>
Source: YouTube\/Op FINALLY HOME
Stayskal was misdiagnosed by a military hospital before discovering he had stage IV lung cancer.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stayskal suffers from stage IV lung cancer, which doctors at a military hospital misdiagnosed in 2018. He fought for more than a year to get the eponymous bill passed. As ABC11<\/a> reports, more than 100 claims have since been filed by service members and their families seeking compensation.<\/span><\/p>\n

It still hasn\u2019t come.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you got folks like myself are terminally ill, you\u2019re planning for everything under the sun you know you got your family to look after your kids to look after,\u201d Stayskal said. \u201cThey still have mortgages and bills and everything else piling up when you do, you know the unfortunate happens if you\u2019re not around.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very tense, to sit here patiently and think whoever\u2019s doing all this has plenty of time but not all of us do,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Stayskal<\/span>
Source: YouTube\/Op FINALLY HOME
Stayskal and hundreds of others are still waiting for compensation for malpractice claims.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stayskal was joined by attorney Natalie Khawam and North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson in advocating for the change to the Feres Doctrine. Even though the Stayskal Act has been made a law, their fight will continue until those who are owed compensation for malpractice are paid.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand how we could be here a year later and they feel like they don\u2019t owe the soldiers, and more importantly Richard Stayskal, his compassion and his commitment to this bill, and answer or some kind of resolution or some kind of closure,\u201d Khawam said. \u201cWe hope that maybe they\u2019ll have some Christmas spirit or feeling of responsibility or accountability and say \u2018Enough is enough. We\u2019re going to start doing our job. We\u2019re going to provide those people who deserve some closure some legal recourse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Operation<\/span>
Source: YouTube\/Op FINALLY HOME
Operation FINALLY HOME in partnership with Cushman & Wakefield and Daniel Adams Construction surprise SFC Richard Stayskal and his family with the news that they will be provided a mortgage-free home.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve committed. They served their part. They are fighting for our country, and I believe that it\u2019s only fair to ask [the DOD] to do their job and get them the answers that they deserve,\u201d Khawam continued.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a Green Beret, Stayskal understands the high cost of war. He\u2019s been trained to direct his talent and skill where it can make the biggest impact in winning a battle. Those traits are now helping him deal with a fight for his life<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day is a blessing. I wake up, definitely not without complications,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Stayskal<\/span>
Source: YouTube\/Op FINALLY HOME
Stayskal continues to fight for the lives of his fellow service members.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the meantime, Stayskal has learned to appreciate the present moment. He has a place to live, family and friends, and hundreds of notes from others who care.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to leave them there for sure,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that they\u2019re stuck with the house, and they\u2019re stuck with us forever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The video below shows the moment when Stayskal and his family were surprised with their new home from Operation FINALLY HOME.<\/span><\/p>\n