Legacy of Our Veterans' Military Exposures
Justice - social, environmental, human
Protecting our veterans' children™

Agent Orange Broke My Heart™ – Agent Orange Legacy

Agent Orange Broke My Hear™t

Agent Orange Broke My Heart™

AUGUST and OCTOBER are both AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS MONTH…Please tell us how Agent Orange broke your heart™.

HISTORY OF AGENT ORANGE BROKE MY HEART™ and IMAGE
My daughter, Dee and I made this image in 2007 when we founded Agent Orange Legacy after her father (my husband) died due to his exposure to Agent Orange and his service (Hep C and PTSD).

When I wrote the words Agent Orange Broke My Heart™ for the first time I did so as the mother of a child affected by her father’s exposure to Agent Orange and as the widow of a Vietnam veteran lost to Agent Orange. Agent Orange had taken so much from me, from my daughter, my husband’s life, from our family.

Agent Orange Broke My Heart™ because I was forced to stand by and watch my child suffer while I was helpless to do anything for her. This wasn’t just a day, a week, a month; this was years on end. Her entire childhood. I advocated for her, of course I did. It was difficult. We didn’t know why she suffered from debilitating muscle spasms all over her body or why she also suffered from other serious health problems. The doctors didn’t know. The school officials didn’t know. Nobody seemed to know why she was ill or how to best help her. As a result she suffered in pain from these muscle spasms for many years.

Every mother wants the best for their child, not pain and suffering. A mother’s heart breaks when she can not relieve her child’s pain and suffering.

After reflecting on this and after my husband’s death I realized that Agent Orange Broke My Heart™.

My daughter and I have been using this image and Agent Orange Broke My Heart™ to spread awareness. It is our signature piece for our “Agent Orange Awareness Month Campaign” which we have been observing annually for many years.

Please help us spread awareness by sharing this image. Thank you for your support, Sharon & Dee, founders of Legacy of Our Veterans’ Military Exposures L3C Agent Orange Legacy.

CLICK HERE to learn  more about AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS MONTH

 

Legacy of Our Veterans' Military Exposures
Widow of a Vietnam veteran exposed to Agent Orange and founder of Agent Orange Legacy.
  1. Tracy Reply

    Hello Susan I am looking into filing for agent orange my husband hasn’t passed but he has lung cancer he has 3 daughters with heart disease 1 of which has passed recently in 2018 at the age of 33 an had heart surgery he served in 1970-71 on the Dmz has a purple heart an several metals receives 100% from the Va we are trying to find a lawyer that will help with his case he also has mycobactertum xenopei an has been told he got that out of the US an the only time that happen was when he traveled to Vietnam.

    • admin Reply

      Hi Tracy, I am very sorry for the loss of your daughter. I am sorry to hear of your husband’s health issues. I hope the new PACT ACT 2022 will help you with your husband’s case. I don’t know what you are trying to apply since he is 100% already, however. There is extra monthly compensation available and you should look into it because there are many extra benefits that come with it.

  2. Susan Eisenbart Reply

    My husband served In Vietnam. He was exposed to Agent Orange but the VA was not acknowleding it in the 70s He ended up having Agent Orange PTSD and porphyria he had to do all his own research on the porphyria He suffered from the day he arrived in Vietnam until the day he died Porpheria contains ingredients that cause everything from high blood pressure to muscle spasms. peptic ulcer disease and much more Porpheria I it’s end stages also begins to affect the mind. Social Security gave him 100% disability but the VA only 30% I recently found a letter from Ricks Vietnam friend that told of how my husdand saved his life this man Terry Coniff wrote that he was standings on a barrel on guard duty in enemy fire my husband tackled him off the barrel and saved his life .Rick also had severe PTSD which was hard on all of us. Please don’t be embarrassed to apply for this benefit as he was.So why is the percentage so low from VA than Social Security? Good question as now after finding all this paperwork and I mean PILES OF FILES 13 years later I am unable to put in these claims.He saved someone’s LIFE doesn’t he deserves a medal for that? I think so.Also the PTSD all veterans have it.No one knows what my three children endured living with a veteran. My youngest son was 7yrs old when he found his father dead now he has PTSD because of that and anger issues.I can’t talk about it annymore but I lost the love of my life because of Vietnam and the United States Government.

    • LOVME Reply

      Thank you for your comment Susan. I am very sorry for your loss. I too lived with a Vietnam veteran who suffered with chronic and severe PTSD and our children were also very much affected. We offer a closed support group on facebook for families of veterans exposed to Agent Orange. You should join us, I think you would find support from the group>>>https://www.facebook.com/groups/aolivingwithagentorange/

    • LOVME Reply

      Hi Susan, Thank you for your comment. I am very sorry for your loss. Our children were also affected by my late husband’s PTSD. We offer a closed support group on facebook for families of veterans exposed to Agent Orange and the veteran. You are welcome to join at this link>>>https://www.facebook.com/groups/aolivingwithagentorange/

  3. Joyce Goodall Reply

    Let me know. My husband died of non Hodgkins lymphoma in 1993.

    • LOVME Reply

      Hi Joyce, Thank you for your comment. I am very sorry for the loss of your husband. We have an online memorial on facebook for the veterans and their children lost to Agent Orange. Here is a link where you can provide the info we need for the memorial>>>https://lovme.org/memorials/agent-orange-vietnam-veterans-memorial/aovvm-veteran-request-form/

  4. Lorena Hansen Reply

    Trying to join group. Please advise.

    • LOVME Reply

      Hi Lorena, Our registration is still not ready but working on it as I type this. I hope it will be ready soon, check back in a couple of weeks.

  5. Mary Eley Reply

    I am so sorry for your suffering due to Agent Orange, it is so unfair that so many of us have had to suffer and see our loved ones quality of life be so terrible and then ultimately see them die. I lost my husband June 14, 2013 after 23 years of illness and each year taking away quality of life.

    I pray for each and every person who has had to suffer the consequences of Agent Orange.

    Sincerely,
    Mary Eley
    Sterling, MA

    • LOVME Reply

      So sorry for delayed response and very sorry for your loss.

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