Mission Accomplished: Rhonda's Story

Everyone for Veterans is proud to serve the spouses of our nation’s veterans and recognize their dedication and committed contribution. One of our recent veteran spouses is Rhonda, a retired EMT with nearly 40 years in the field. Rhonda met her husband Larry when they were in 8th grade and even then, Larry knew that she was the one, asking her to be his wife when they were 13 years old.

Larry deployed to Vietnam with the Marines and was shot in combat. He suffered significant nerve damage from his wounds and was honorably discharged from service. Upon his return, the couple was married and celebrated 52 wonderful years together until Larry passed away in the summer of 2022.

When Rhonda came to E4V in January of last year, she was suffering from tremendous pain and discomfort. A serious illness had impacted her oral health dramatically. We assigned her to Dr. Kevin Shively in Lubbock, TX. His team provided compassionate comprehensive care including 16 crowns, a root canal, and a nightguard. The whole team was so happy to be able to assist her in providing her new smile.
​
Now that Rhonda is healthy and pain-free, she is continuing her lifetime of service by volunteering at Spirit of Sharing, helping the community by providing clothes, food, and essential needs. Rhonda said about her experience, "Dr. Shively and staff are so great! The dental care I received feels wonderful and for the first time, I can eat normally."

Each day, E4V’s partnering dentists represent the love of the community. Dr. Shively had this to say about his experience, “when Rhonda came to see me, she had seen me previously at the practice I used to own, so it was like rekindling an old friendship! Seeing her transformation and her gratitude for the services we provided really reinvigorated my spirit, as it reminded me so deeply of one of the core reasons I pursued dentistry in the first place to give people back their smile and transform their lives!”

Thank you, Dr. Shively and team, for supporting Rhonda during this time, and thank you Rhonda for your lifetime of service.