While Christmas is a day of celebration, it can be tough for veterans and their families. Luckily, Lisa and Phil Carter found a service which has seen them through the darkest times. We share their story, which originally appeared in our 2025 Christmas issue here…
Lisa Carter still remembers the day the phone call came. Her husband, Phil, had been through the wringer since his voluntary discharge from the army in 2014. His mental health in tatters, Phil was experiencing suicidal ideation and unable to find work.
He found loud, unexpected noises – anything from a car backfiring to Lisa accidentally dropping something on the kitchen counter – triggering. He’d be up all night patrolling their home, hyper-vigilant to danger. He was, says Lisa, “a totally different person.” And, she adds, he felt a sense of shame, unable to talk about what was happening to him internally.
For Lisa, who was also caring full-time for her ailing father, the strain on the couple was not only emotional but also financial. They prioritised paying the mortgage for the house they’d worked so hard to buy, but everything else went by the wayside. By the time Phil’s phone rang that fateful day in 2016, the couple hadn’t eaten for four days.
They’d registered with government-funded organisations for food vouchers, but the wait was six weeks.
On the other end of the line was Martin Shaw. The president of Wounded Heroes Australia had heard about Phil’s plight and wanted to do what he could to help. He organised immediate food vouchers and a mortgage repayment plan. And, critically, referrals to cut through the medical system to get Phil the help he desperately needed.
“To see my husband smile was beautiful,” Lisa says of the relief Phil felt at overcoming their immediate crisis. “Because it was life or death.”
Wounded Heroes Australia is a national charity providing immediate support to those currently in military service, as well as to veterans and their families. They fill the gap in government-funded services including the RSL, Salvation Army and DVA, which often refer cases to them for immediate support.
In addition, they run Veterans Centres – including at Bundamba, Queensland, where we are meeting today. Here, veterans and their loved ones can drop in for a chat, a cup of tea, a free meal or items from the op shop where Lisa now works as a supervisor.
Since 2023, calls to the crisis line have quadrupled, says Martin’s wife Kim Shaw, the organisation’s philanthropy manager. And they’re experiencing the traditional Christmas surge, when instances of domestic violence as well as mental health crises typically spike.
With no government funding, Wounded Heroes relies upon donations. And at this time of the year, that is where they desperately need help.
“Christmas can be a trigger for veterans, quite often for those with children,” Kim explains. The holiday season can cause massive trauma for veterans who are lonely, isolated or struggling to support a family.
For Lisa, giving back to Wounded Heroes – including telling her story – is a way to ensure donations come in.
“Thanks to Wounded Heroes, our future looks great,” she says. “We are moving forward with our lives.”
Head to woundedheroes.org.au for more information and to donate.
This article originally appeared in the Christmas 2025 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly. Subscribe so you never miss an issue.
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