Jason

S1 E4: Thrashing. That’s how Mike and Pam Estes had been told their son, Jason, might come out of his coma, if he did at all. They’d spent three months “wondering what we’d have if he woke up.” When they heard the sound of laughter, of Jason laughing himself awake, it infused them with the positivity they exude to this day. Jason had been thrown from his Humvee in an IED blast while monitoring an election in 2005, shattering both legs and left singing happy birthday to stay conscious until he was rescued. A cat scan revealed brain shearing and a severe traumatic brain injury. Like many parents, Mike and Pam had no idea where to start when he came back – and they didn’t get much help. They didn’t know he was entitled to aid, attendants and other benefits. There was no toolkit. After the early phase of his recovery and rehab, it was clear Jason was physically and mentally incapacitated and needed full-time care. He reached a crossroads: he would either be moved into a nursing home with people four times his age or Mike and Pam would take him home. For the last seven years, they have been providing him with 24-hour care. In 2010, Mike joined a group of other caregivers, organized with the Wounded Warrior Project, and successfully lobbied Congress to pass the Caregiver Act, which allows the VA to provide some payment to a veteran’s caregiver, even if that person is a family member. We follow this extraordinarily patient, loving, funny and determined couple as they advocate for new legislation for long term care. Because when they, and aging parents like them, become incapacitated themselves, who will care for Jason?