Brannan and Caleb Vine’s life changed on Sept. 11, 2001. Caleb immediately reacted to the national tragedy by enlisting, and soon the two were a military family living overseas in Germany.
Caleb was deployed twice to Iraq, and during his second deployment, he sustained injuries that resulted in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among other physical injuries.
“We have a completely different life now,” said Brannan. “We had to get to know each other again, develop our marriage differently, relearn how to parent and just move through the world with very different needs and constraints.”
Brannan says she draws inspiration from her husband, who put his entire self on the line, not just for the greater good of the country, but also for their family.
In addition to the inspiration Brannan draws from her husband, she has also found motivation through helping others. Brannan founded FamilyOfaVet.com in 2007 to connect with others about navigating the daily demands of caregiving.
“This is about serving him as much as he has served everyone else,” said Brannan. “I love him. When it all comes down to it, it is as simple and as complex as that.”
While Brannan continues to help others through work with The Elizabeth Dole Foundation and FamilyOfaVet.com, Team Depot was lucky enough to have the opportunity to help her and her family in return.
“Like so many heroes, my husband has balance issues and was having issues navigating our home. Team Depot came in and installed tile floors that are virtually indestructible and easy to walk on,” said Brannan. “They fixed a leaking vent on our roof, added double hand rails down our stairs, and replaced our hot water heater – things we would not have been able to do for years, if ever, that make a huge difference.”
