Sarah Verardo is a national advocate for wounded Veterans and their Caregivers. Her husband Michael was catastrophically wounded in Afghanistan in 2010 - in two separate IED attacks that took his left leg, much of his left arm, and left him with polytraumatic conditions that have required more than one hundred surgeries and years of speech, visual, physical, and occupational therapies.

Starting as a volunteer with The Independence Fund, Verardo’s steadfast devotion, experience, and drive led to her eventual selection as the organization’s first Chief Executive Officer. Verardo carries on the legacy of The Independence Fund’s founder by continuing the hallmark all-terrain trackchair program to provide mobility to wounded heroes. She created the nonprofit’s Caregiver, Family, Mobility, Independence@Home, and Advocacy programs. Verardo also developed a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs (DOD) that will combat Veteran suicide through reunions of some of the hardest hit units of the War on Terror. This revolutionary program, Operation RESILIENCY, works with the VA and DOD to recall units for peer support, relying on bonds formed during war and keeping the commitment of shared experience and brotherhood alive back home.

Verardo advises Administration officials and members of Congress on the experiences of the families of severely wounded Veterans and has been instrumental in shaping national policy for our warfighters and their families. Regularly appearing on cable news to commentate on the sacrifice of Veterans and Military families, Verardo is a respected subject matter expert in the field.

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"Hero at Home" was inspired by Verardo’s personal family journey. Grace's dad is an inspiration to so many, and he is not the only one in his family who deals with scars of war. This book is dedicated to the brave men of Bravo Company, 2-508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne, who fought alongside Grace's dad-the ones who came home, and in loving memory of the ones who did not.

An important read for those wishing to embrace the wounded heroes in their community and better understand that, for these heroes, the fight doesn't end when they return home. "Hero at Home" celebrates the contribution that our Veterans have made, and it shines a light on how vital it is to embrace these special families. Proceeds for "Hero at Home" go directly towards the mission of The Independence Fund.