When you think of a father, you think of something who would do anything to protect and support his family. Travis Mills was recently nominated for Fatherly’s Father of the Year Awards, and for good reason. In 2012, Travis was stationed in Afghanistan as a staff sergeant of the 82nd Airborne Division. He left behind his wife and 4-month-old daughter. Little did he know that his life was about to be changed forever.
He and his unit went out, and although a soldier named Brandon did a thorough sweep of the area before the rest of the guys went out, he missed an IED.
When Travis set his pack down, it exploded and blew off all four of his limbs. The other soldiers acted fast, but they were unable to find one of his arms and one of his legs. The impact was so intense that they had disintegrated.
Kelsey got a call that her husband was in an accident and needed to have the other limbs amputated or else he would die.
She gave them permission and was only concerned about saving her husband’s life. Travis did survive, but he lost both of his legs and most of both of his arms. He is one of the five quadruple amputees from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars that have survived their injuries.
After surgery, he was depressed and worried that he wouldn’t be able to provide for his family.
There were times that he wished he hadn’t survived. He felt like he had no value, and his future was uncertain.
“I was telling my wife, Kelsey, she should leave me and go do whatever she wants in life, so she shouldn’t put up with a burden like me.”
But Kelsey wasn’t about to give up on him. She reminded him that her job as his wife was to take care of him.
She told him:
“This is not how that works, and we will get through this.”
Kelsey stayed by his side the entire time he was in the hospital, and with the help of her and his daughter, he started to get over his depression. He was eventually discharged from the hospital with robotic arms and legs.
These would allow him to have some mobility, but they would take some getting used to.
He faced a lot of challenges and a long recovery. He wondered how other soldiers survived their injuries and dealt with life after recovery.
He realized that there were no places for soldiers to calmly heal who have been discharged but are not completely well again.
He decided he was going to do something about it. He found a 1,200-acre spa that was built in 1929. He raised enough money to buy it and began turning it into a place for injured soldiers and their families to go to get away from things. They would be able to go to the retreat free of charge.
He described it, saying:
“I wanted them to relax in a place where they’re not different because everybody who would come knows their situation and what they’re going through and could relate. I thought, ‘What would I need?’ You have to decide where the showerhead is. If you don’t have arms, you can’t reach the shower head. You have to use carpets, not rugs, which can trip you up on a wheelchair. You have to have wider doorways for wheels.”
The spa opened last June, and the first guests included 56 veterans and their families.
Travis explained that he wants the retreat to be a place for families to rest, but also a place for them have fun. He also wanted it to be a place that would help them bond with their children.
He added:
“I want them to understand they’re not the only children with dads like me — that there are other dads or moms out there in my situation. It’s something that happens, but life goes on. That’s the biggest mission I have.”
The spa has helped Travis and many other soldiers heal. He and his family are doing well, and he is focusing on helping other soldiers with injuries.
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