Our Volunteers - Anita Foster

Hello!  My name is Anita Foster and I live in Wichita, Ks.  On October 23rd, 2005 while living in Salina, Ks. on a Sunday morning, I received word from Virginia that my son SGT. Evan S. Parker had been critically wounded by a roadside IED outside of Balad, Iraq. At the time of this call they were taking him into surgery for his head injury. They said; they were sorry, it did not look good and he probably would not make it. They would call me back in approximately 8 hours with word. They would transport him to the Army Base in Lanstuhl, Germany if he made it though the surgery. 

 I received a call that afternoon that he made it through the surgery and they were flying him to Germany!  They said his injuries were too severe for any recovery and that he was on life support.  We left for Germany the next day early on a Monday morning.  We spent approximately 8 hours with him, and then removed him from the life support system.  He had traumatic head injuries and total organ failure. This was October 26, 2005.  

Evan was my middle son, a true soldier, a beautiful father, excellent brother, and a son that would do anything for his mother.  He never once hesitated in his call, to be sent to Iraq. Evan has 2 little boys, Blake is 8 and Conner is 6.

I believe in Hearts of America because my son would say the children in Iraq are truly the ones that need our help.  The soldiers would carry small toys in their BTU's and gear that they could hand out to the children.  He would say sometimes the children would come back to them several times for more toys or just a hug and a smile.  He said the children seemed to love the soldiers.  The children would flock around the soldiers. 

I believe in
   Hearts of America
   because my son would
   say the children in Iraq
   are truly the ones that
   need our help.

   __________________

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