Good Care Month with Robin Spence

July is Good Care Month, a time dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the vital role of caregivers in our society. Whether they are family members, friends, or professional caregivers, their dedication and compassion make a significant difference in the lives of those they care for. This month offers an opportunity to highlight the importance of good care and to express our gratitude to those who provide it.

Good care goes beyond meeting the basic needs of individuals. It encompasses emotional support, companionship, and the creation of a nurturing environment. It requires patience, empathy, and a deep understanding of the unique needs of each person. Effective caregiving enhances the quality of life for individuals, promoting their well-being and dignity.

Robin Spence, North Carolina Representative for the Orange Heart Medal Foundation, is all of these things and more. She may not fall under what we may think as a typical “caregiver” role, but her passion for helping veterans suffering from exposure to Agent Orange reigns high. She is serving a community that needs nurturing, but also spreading awareness on the problem. 

Agent Orange, a herbicide and defoliant chemical, was widely used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam war. It was sprayed from aircrafts to destroy vegetation and crops depriving enemy guerillas of food and cover. Because it’s a dioxin, Agent Orange moves into human cells and attacks genes, leading to a number of serious illnesses. There are 16 conditions that are associated with the effects of Agent Orange, including various forms of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease and diabetes. 

Robin knows the lasting effects that Agent Orange has on veterans. Her husband, Joseph, passed in 2018 due to exposure. After his passing, she looked for resources and support to help in her time of need, but didn't find any that were familiar with what she had gone through. While scouring the internet one day, she came across the Orange Heart Medal Foundation and received an Orange medal in her husbands honor. Not long after, she received a call from U.S. Navy veteran, Ken Gamble, and U.S. Army veteran, and season 2 "Toxic Exposure" guest, Bobby Tyner, asking if she would be the representative for the North Carolina Orange Heart Medal Foundation. From there, she vowed to help lasting veterans and their families dealing with the cruel effects and recognized that they can still receive the attention and care they deserve.  The foundations mission is to place as many orange heart medals into Vietnam veterans, and their families hands. Robin, and the foundation want the medals to serve more than a piece of ‘accommodation’, but to serve as a welcome home to veterans who have been exposed, creating a community around care, and making sure that they will never EVER be forgotten. 

Encompassing emotional support, companionship and a nurturing environment is important, and Robin Spence has found a way to master all of these things with the help of a foundation that gives back and truly CARES for the Vietnam veteran community.