The Unseen Battle
Terry Hall is a retired U.S. Army Verteran who served the country for 22 years. Stephanie Hall is a paraeducator at Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant, MI who works with the Special Education students. They live with 2 of Stephanie’s children, Abby Birano, 16, and Carol Fairbotham, 11.
Terry and Stephanie met at a warrior’s retreat for veterans with PTSD in 2014. Stephanie attended with her then husband, Bill, who was also retired from the armed forces. A few months later Stephanie and Bill were in the process of separating and Terry and Stephanie became closer while starting a nonprofit with a group of friends.
She “used her Irish witchery to steal me away,” says Terry.
In 2016 Warriors and Caregivers United becomes an official, Michigan based, nonprofit organization. “The goal is to create an environment where veterans and their loved ones can meet and make a connection,” says Terry.
Terry suffers from PTSD, himself, and spends 3-5 days a week alone at a second house the family owns in Sanford, MI. Though not everyone understands their living situation, it works for the Halls just fine. Terry is still working on putting the finishing touches on the cabin, but one day he and Stephanie hope to permanently move out there.
Before meeting and marrying each other in 2018, Terry had previously been married three times and Stephanie had been married twice. Stephanie has 3 children, the eldest of which lives in New York with their grandparents. Terry has 2 sons who both live out of state.
For more information on Warriors and Caregivers United please visit their website at https://www.wacu.org
Terry Hall sits by a campfire outside his cabin on Monday, November 11 in Sanford, MI. The Halls have the cabin as a second property in Sanford for Terry to stay at. Terry has PTSD from his time in the U.S. Army and stays at the second house for 3-5 days a week.
Hall and his stepdaughter, Carol Fairbotham, 11 eat dinner in Mount Pleasant, MI. Fairbotham's dad is also retired from the military.
Hall's military uniform jacket. Hall served 22 years in the army . He feels that he isn't close to his two sons because he missed so much of their lives while being deployed.
(left to right) Stephanie and Terry Hall, Carol Fairbotham, and Abby Birano, 16 discuss ehtics and character after Birano confesses one of her close friends likes to shoplift.
Birano brings a bucket of ice for the soda machine into the Downtown Drug store, where she works. She says she has a job at 16 "for the freedom." If she works she can use the car, if she can use the car she can visit friends. Most of her salery goes toward car insurance, but a little of each paycheck goes toward a trip to Ireland and Scotland.
Terry gives Staphanie a foot massage. Stephanie has broken that foot before and it sometimes still bothers her. The Halls met at a retreat for veterans with PTSD and their families and got close after starting a non-profit for veterans with a group of their friends.
Fairbotham works on a slideshow about woodland animals for school. Fairbotham owns the family pet, a turtle named Squirtle.
Hall locks up his garage as he heads out to Home Depot for metals pipes to replace the PVC pipes in the bathroom. Hall is a very religious man, but does not attend a weekly church service. His cabin is his church, he says.