Effort strengthens support for military families

Medical crisis casts cloud of uncertainty over family of Elgin veteran

on the road to recovery: Natalie Stewart, pictured her with her mom Jennifer, had surgery last April to correct Arnold-Chiari Malformation, a disorder that affects the brian and neurological system. She is recovering nicely, but could face another surgery in the future. The Stewart family is having trouble keeping up with out-of-pocket costs for Natalie’s care. The Observer/BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH

Nathan Stewart served with the Third Battalion, 116th Armored Cavalry in Iraq in 2004. He was injured twice, once in a traffic accident and once in an incident involving an improvised explosive device.

When he went to Iraq, he left behind his wife, Jennifer, and an infant daughter, Natalie. With the addition two years ago of son Collin, the Stewarts are the parents of two.

“We wanted to live somewhere where it’s peaceful and friendly and you don’t have to worry about your kids playing outside,” she said.

Last April, the family found itself faced with a serious crisis. Natalie was diagnosed with Arnold-Chiari Malformation, a serious condition in which the brain stem swells and becomes too large for the opening in the bottom of the skull. Nerves become pinched.

The disorder causes motor dysfunction and mental regression. Without surgery it can lead to paralysis. The weeks following the diagnosis stand out in Jennifer’s memory as a frightening time.

“Natalie regressed to where she was younger mentally than her brother. It was like raising a 5-year-old who was a year-and-a-half mentally. It was really, really hard.”

On May 22, at Oregon Health and Science University, Natalie had an operation to enlarge the opening at the bottom of her skull. She is back home and doing well, but complete recovery will take months.

“She hasn’t been able to be a kid,” Jennifer said. “She can’t go to the pool and she has to be careful about everything she does.”

Nathan Stewart had insurance that covered the major portion of Natalie’s medical care. The partial disability payments he receives from the Department of Veterans Affairs also help with bills.

But still, the crisis left the family struggling.

Jennifer said out-of-pocket costs for Natalie’s care top $3,200, and more bills are expected. There are other expenses as well, including those incurred for repeated follow-up trips to OHSU.

“With all our trips to Portland, we’re three months behind in our bills,” Jennifer said.

Natalie is due for more tests in August, and the future is still uncertain.

“The doctor said there might be a time when she’s older they’ll have to do another surgery,” she said.

All of this comes at a time when the Stewarts’ manufactured home in Elgin is in serious need of repair.

“Our house is falling apart. Keeping up with the medical bills, we can’t fix it,” Jennifer said.

Jennifer Kotz, a regional family support specialist for the Department of Defense, has tried to find help for the Stewarts, and has had some success. Still, resources are limited.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars offers financial assistance through its Un-Met Needs program, but the Stewarts don’t qualify because more than three years have passed since Nathan’s deployment.

The Oregon National Guard Emergency Relief Fund, set up to aid military families state-wide, would be a source of funding, but it is empty, Kotz said.

With Kotz’s help, the Stewarts have made some arrangements with creditors. Relatives have pitched in with financial help as well.

Still, the Stewarts have a long way to go before they fully recover.

“I would not say they are in dire straits, because Nathan is working. But due to the extreme costs of surgery and medical needs, they are hurting,” Kotz said. “What they need is help catching up.”

Anyone wishing to help should call Kotz at 541-910-7777, or contact her by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it