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Dying Army veteran has one final wish — to talk to you

Posted at 5:16 PM, Jul 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-14 17:16:05-04

A veteran currently in hospice care has one dying wish — to talk to you.

According to AZ Central, 47-year-old Lee Hernandez is an 18-year Army veteran from New Braunfels, Texas who served a tour in Iraq. Hernandez recently suffered a number of strokes that have left him in significant pain. Doctors have been unable to diagnose his illness, and have said all they can do is make him comfortable.

According to Hernandez's wife, Erestine, Hernandez recently asked her to hold his phone in case anyone called. After two hours with no calls or text, Hernandez reportedly said “I guess no one wants to talk to me.”

So Ernestine Hernandez set out to prove her husband wrong. She shared Hernanez's dying wish with a number of Veteran communities, and eventually his number made its way to the Arizona Veterans Forum's Facebook page. A post explaining Hernandez's story has been shared more than 600 times since it was orignally shared on Tuesday.

Since then, Ernestine Hernandez says her husband has received an influx of calls and text messages of support.

If you'd like to reach out to Hernandez, give a call or text to 210-632-6778. Hernandez wife asks well-wishers to call between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET. She also says that while Hernandez may not be able to answer every call due to excruciating pain, that she "wouldn't have it any other way."

Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.