Why the issues associated with the military community matter to me:

       I am the widow of an Active-duty service member. My husband, Sgt Jeremy "Jay" Seals, died because of Military Medical Malpractice and Neglect combined with the effects of Toxic Exposure. Jay was exposed to Burn Pits and other Toxins in Afghanistan at FOB Howz-e Madad and COP Ghundy Ghar, serving in the Army with the 101st 2-502 HHC. Later, he was stationed in Belgium and suffered a hernia. Scans were conducted to pinpoint his injuries. In 2012 the radiologist who did those scans noticed an abnormality in his stomach/abdomen and sent an email to his Primary Care Manager, advising the Doctor “Growth found, follow-up needed”. Jay was unaware of this discovery, and his PCM did not follow up on the advisory.

       Jay PCSed back to Fort Campbell in 2013. Jay had constant abdominal/stomach issues and pain from 2012 till his death. He tried to discover exactly what was wrong by utilizing military medical services at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital. Most of the time, he was given over-the-counter stomach or digestive medications and told it might be "phantom" pains from the hernia surgery in 2012 or IBS, or as one doctor stated, "an excuse to get out of PT." In April 2016, while serving with 5-101 Combat Aviation, Jay went to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital ER for abdominal pains with a distended abdomen. He was released after being told he was just constipated. He went back the next day and was admitted for a bowel blockage. They used a nasal gastric tube to remove the contents of his stomach and bowel over the next five days, then released him, telling him that bowel blockages "just happen sometimes" and to follow up with a private doctor since his "ETS" date was coming up. In May 2016, Jay exited Active-Duty Service at Fort Campbell, KY, and enlisted with the National Guard. Shortly after this, he was having trouble eating, and the VA discovered that he had a mass in his esophagus/stomach. We learned that the mass/tumor had metastasized to nearly every organ in his abdominal cavity during diagnostic surgery. The diagnosis was Stage 4 Cancer.

In October 2016, I was given copies of Jay's medical records from the Army, including the document that stated that a mass was found in 2012. As a result, in November 2016, he was granted an Active-Duty Medical Extension (LOD) and assigned to a Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) at Fort Campbell. The WTU did everything it could to care for Jay once he was assigned to them. He died on October 31, 2018.

        When Jay was diagnosed with cancer, I left my career in Information Technology, working for a defense contractor to be his caregiver and spend what time we had left together. I served as witness as my soldier deteriorated into a frail shell of who he once was, who could not move or care for himself. In the last weeks of his life, even his mind, the one thing he valued above all else, was affected by cancer and related wasting syndrome. His final hours were not peaceful; he fought death until the end.

       Before Jay died, he asked me to be an advocate for the Military Community which includes Active Military, Reserve, Guard, Veterans, and their families (and survivors). I plan to create a non-profit called Voice of Our Warriors and take my voice to DC in honor of Sgt Jay Seals. Topics I am working on include Military Medical Malpractice, Toxic Exposure, Surviving Spouse issues, care and benefits for Veterans...and many more. Since Jay's death, I have earned an Associate of Arts and made 6 trips to DC, mostly on my own dime. I have participated in numerous "grassroots" letter-writing campaigns and worked with the nonprofit veteran-warriors.org. I have worked as an advocate to help pass the SBP-DIC offset elimination bill in 2020, PACT ACT in 2022, and an amendment to NDAA 2020 that allows soldiers to file medical malpractice claims(Feres Doctrine). I am also a current member of the VA- Veterans’ Family, Caregiver, and Survivor Federal Advisory Committee and on the Survivors Subcommittee.

       We must all be the voice of our warriors and their families.

Thank you,

Tori Seals