Dr. Jill Biden highlights importance of military caregivers during Seattle visit

First lady Dr. Jill Biden is flying back to the White House on Saturday after a two-day stop in western Washington.

As KIRO 7′s Ryan Simms reports, she spent some time at the Pacific Science Center meeting with the caregivers of wounded military members.

Surrounding the first lady were so-called “hidden helpers” — loved ones of wounded and ill military veterans who now serve as direct caretakers for these American heroes.

“Even though we’re not at war, our military families have sacrificed so much for us, and we need to give back,” Biden said.

As part of that giving back, the first lady listened to the struggles that these “hidden helpers” face every single day.

“There’s way too many manhole covers in the road and that’s a trigger for my husband, where he was blown up so many times. We avoid those,” said Kristin Christensen, one of the military caregivers.

Currently, there are 5.5 million military caregivers here in the U.S. But as the first lady heard Saturday, each of those caretakers often feels alone.

“You’re a caregiver, but who’s taking care of you?” Biden asked.

“For a while, nobody was. It was hard,” said Christensen.

Luckily, there are indications that things could soon get better.

A U.S. Senate bill was recently introduced that would give financial assistance and critical support to those who are military caregivers.

“Every veteran of every era is now eligible to have a caregiver supported through this program that Senator Murray got enacted,” said Denis McDonough, U.S. Secretary of Veteran Affairs.

In the end, Biden insisted that these helpers should be treated as heroes themselves.

“The citizens of America need to understand that we need to continue to support the men and women who’ve had our backs,” Biden said.

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