Shannon Tuimalealiifano, 2014 Dole Caregiver Fellow Florida
All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Shannon Tuimalealiifano as guest to the show.
About Shannon Tuimalealiifano, 2014 Dole Caregiver Fellow, Florida:
Shannon and her husband, Sualauvi “Sua” Tuimalealiifano, are both Army veterans who met while serving at Fort Bragg. As a military child herself, Shannon understood the strength, camaraderie, and sacrifice that come with military life. After enlisting two years after high school, she served as a trained lab tech and combat medic, later working at Womack Army Medical Center.
But nothing could have fully prepared Shannon for the life-changing journey that began after Sua was injured in combat while serving with Army Special Operations in Afghanistan. A paratrooper, jumpmaster, and Special Operations soldier, Sua sustained a severe spinal cord injury that eventually left him quadriplegic.
At the time, Shannon was raising three young children, ages 6, 4, and 9 months. Within a week of Sua’s medevac from Afghanistan, she joined him at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, followed by rehabilitation at James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa. What followed was a long and difficult road through hospital stays, rehabilitation, military transition challenges, and the daily realities of full-time caregiving.
After nearly two years in hospitals and rehab, Shannon and Sua returned to Fort Bragg without the support or accessibility their family needed. Their home was not wheelchair accessible, and Sua’s wheelchair could not fit through the doors. Eventually, the family relocated to Hawaii through a compassionate reassignment so they could be closer to Sua’s family and support system.
Even with family help, Shannon faced overwhelming exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and the emotional weight of caregiving around the clock. She later found healing through an equine therapy program with other military caregivers, describing it as “lifesaving and life-giving.”
Through community, connection, and support from organizations including the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Hidden Heroes program, The Rosie Network, the VA, and Wounded Warrior Project’s Independence Program, Shannon found strength, purpose, and a deeper understanding of the importance of supporting military and veteran caregivers.
Shannon’s story is one of service, sacrifice, resilience, and the power of caregiver community.
About the Dole Caregiver Fellowship:
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation Dole Caregiver Fellows Program is a selective leadership and advocacy fellowship for individuals who provide care and support to wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans of all generations. Participants—spouses, parents, adult children, friends, or other loved ones—are chosen from across the United States to represent caregivers across their communities and nationally.
During a two-year term, Fellows receive training, build networks, and work with policymakers, organizations, and the public to raise awareness of the value of caregivers and the challenges they face. They advocate for improved support and resources and advise the Foundation on programs and policy priorities affecting military and veteran families. In addition, by sharing their stories and experiences, they help other caregivers recognize themselves as caregivers, connect to resources, and feel welcomed in a community where every caregiving journey is valued.