An Open Letter to Tulsi Gabbard and Her Husband
Cancer does not care about politics, rank, titles, or public office. It does not care who wore the uniform and who supported them from home. It enters quietly, interrupts ordinary life without warning, and forces families into battles they never expected to fight.
I recently learned of your husband’s diagnosis with bone cancer, and I wanted to publicly offer my sympathy, prayers, and sincere hope for healing and recovery.
As the widow of Sgt. Jeremy “Jay” Seals, who passed away from service-connected cancer after his military service during the Global War on Terror, I understand how quickly life can become divided into “before diagnosis” and “after diagnosis.” Suddenly every conversation, every plan, every quiet moment becomes tied to appointments, scans, treatments, lab results, and the desperate hope for more time.
It changes everything.
But I also know that behind every diagnosis is still a husband, a wife, a family, a future, and a life worth fighting for.
Years ago, when my husband was battling Stage IV stomach cancer connected to toxic exposure, you were one of the first public figures willing to acknowledge that military families were facing a serious issue with burn pits and toxic exposure. At a time when many families felt ignored, that willingness to listen mattered deeply.
I met you on Capitol Hill during the early part of that journey. Jay and I had been married for eleven years at the time. Less than two years later, I lost him.
Because of that experience, I never hear about another military-connected family facing cancer without stopping to think about the emotional weight that follows the diagnosis. The fear. The uncertainty. The exhaustion. The determination to keep hoping even on the hardest days.
So this letter is not about politics.
It is not about legislation.
It is not about advocacy.
It is simply about human compassion.
I wanted your husband to know that there are people across the military and veteran community praying for him, rooting for him, and hoping wholeheartedly that he beats this disease.
I pray his doctors are skilled.
I pray his treatments are effective.
I pray his difficult days are few.
I pray both of you continue finding moments of laughter, peace, strength, and normalcy in the middle of the chaos that cancer brings into a family.
And most of all, I pray for healing.
One of the hardest parts of cancer is how isolating it can feel, especially for families used to being the strong ones for everyone else. But there is an entire community of military families, survivors, caregivers, veterans, and spouses who understand this road more than most people realize.
No matter where life leads, your family is not walking this path alone.
From one military family forever changed by cancer to another currently fighting it, please know you have my deepest sympathy and my sincere hope for recovery, healing, and many more years together.
With respect and heartfelt support,
“Tori” Seals
Military Surviving Spouse
Fort Worth, Texas
Founder, Free-Range Advocate
P.S. Ma’am, please know my door is always open if there is ever anything I can do to help, whether that is sharing resources, answering questions, or simply being someone who understands the road you are walking.
