Kelly Hunsucker

Caregiver

"Operation Mend has validated my struggle and experience as a caregiver."

Kelly Hunsucker was married for just two years when her husband, U.S. Army Captain Josh Hunsucker, returned from a deployment in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) in 2007 suffering from trauma. The couple faced many challenges, from understanding their trauma, to working through various diagnoses, to struggles in dealing with the VA.

“All this has been exhausting,” says Kelly. “It has taken a lot out of our marriage.”

Through caregiver friends, Kelly heard about UCLA Health’s Operation Mend program. It took her several years and a lot of patience and persistence, but she was determined to convince Josh to join the program. She knew they needed targeted assistance from trauma- and veteran-informed clinicians.

“I’m very grateful for Operation Mend. They understand that the challenges people like us are going through are real, and they are set up to help the veterans and their caregivers. They truly get that both need assistance as they walk this path.”

“We had a great experience,” Kelly says. “We felt it was a pivotal piece of our therapeutic journey. I appreciate not only the care we both received, but also that caregivers were included in the process. Operation Mend has validated my struggle and experience as a caregiver. It has helped me feel less alone, knowing there are many others in my same position and that Operation Mend values the caregiver’s role in helping their veteran succeed.”

Kelly and Josh Hunsucker are still on their journey to understanding their collective and individual traumas but continue to use the tools they learned at Operation Mend.