Gabby Rodriguez, Featured in our film Homefront, Speaks at White House

Joining Forces and Hidden Helpers Coalition Pledge Support to Military and Veteran Children in Caregiving Families

November 11, 2021 — Gabby Rodriguez, age 9 and one of the stars of our film Homefront, spoke at the White House yesterday about her experience as a military caregiver. She was part of an event with the White House’s Joining Forces Initiative, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), the Hidden Helpers Coalition, and military families celebrating military and veteran caregiver children and youth.

The event also marked the release of a first-of-its-kind study detailing the impacts of military caregiving in children and youth. The study finds that 2.3 million children in the United States are living with a disabled veteran – the first evidence based quantification of these “Hidden Helpers.”

Gabby spoke about what it is like growing up after her father, veteran Jorge, was hit with an IED in Iraq and suffered hearing loss, a traumatic brain injury, and PTSD.

“I would go to the playground and ask other kids, ‘Was your dad in the military? Does he have a booboo on his brain?’ It was three long years [later] when I was at a veteran family retreat for military kids that I finally made my first friend that said, ‘Yes,’ to both of those questions. It was a huge moment for me,” Gabby said, standing alongside her 6-year-old sister Ava.

“I want every other caregiver kid out there to know that there are millions of us. You are not alone,” Gabby added.

One of the primary findings of the study is that military caregivers endure “fears of stigma and being misunderstood by friends, family, and the larger community that can engender feelings of isolation for children and caregivers.” Military caregiver children are also more likely to experience trouble learning in school and to develop health problems such as stress and fatigue. The study also found children want more support to navigate their roles as “hidden helpers” and that their needs “can get lost in their family’s response to the needs of the care recipient.”

Shine Global’s film Homefront illustrates the impact of military service on the entire family by sharing the stories of three different families. Gabby, Terry, and Luther all have parents who were injured while serving, and each family has found a way to heal the wounds of war. Homefront shows how Gabby (9), a fierce animal lover with a stock of chickens, rabbits, bees, and dogs, loves her family and faces her fears about her Dad’s traumatic brain injury and PTSD via equine therapy. Terry (10), an enthusiastic boy and his parents, Taniki and Brandon, share their experiences and mental health struggles as they work to heal and help each other cope with depression and PTSD through honest conversation and embracing joy. Luther (9) is a charismatic boy who wants to be “like my dad when I grow up.” His father, Joe, a Navy veteran who lost his leg in an IED explosion, struggles through chronic pain to put family first.

“We made this film to bring attention and support to the children and families of veterans as well as foster an open dialogue around mental health, trauma, and recovery,” director Kristi Jacobson and producers Alexandra Blaney and Netsanet Negussie shared. “Through the eyes and voices of three remarkable and inspiring children – Gabby,Terry, and Luther – we can experience the unique struggles that they and their veteran parents experience and see how military service impacts the family unit.”

The Hidden Helpers study will also be used to provide effective support to caregivers of all ages. The event yesterday marked the first step in that work with the announcement of nearly 40 public and private sector commitments for new and expanded resources, programs, and financial pledges in support of military-connected caregiver children and youth.

Homefront is part of Sesame Workshop’s “Through Our Eyes” documentary series now streaming on HBOMax

You can read and download the full report “Hidden Helpers at the Frontlines of Caregiving: Supporting the Healthy Development of Children from Military and Veteran Caregiving Homes” from Mathematica.   

You can also watch a recording of the White House event here:

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About Shine Global

Shine Global is a non-profit media company that gives voice to children and their families by telling their stories of resilience to raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change. We produce inspiring films and compelling content about underserved children. Through tailored distribution and outreach, we connect with our audiences in communities, classrooms, museums, and on Capitol Hill as part of a powerful engagement campaign to encourage social change. Since our founding in 2005, Shine Global films have won more than 100 major awards, including an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject for Inocente and an Academy Award®-nomination and two Emmys® for War/Dance. Recent films include the documentary-animation hybrid Liyana, the hit documentary The Eagle Huntress, and Tre Maison Dasan which broadcast on PBS’s Independent Lens, and Virtually Free which won the SIMA Jury Award for Impact.