Local Gold Star wife to be honored by VP Pence in Washington D.C.

(WJBK) - A Bingham Farms woman is getting ready for a trip to the nation’s capital for a special meeting with the vice-president.

Lana Waldorf will be honored along with a few other select Gold Star wives

"It's one of the moments you never forget when they walk in the door, tell me to sit down and I'm like, 'No just tell me' because I knew."

Lana Waldorf just never thought it would get to that point. Her husband Major Lance Waldorf took his life in 2008.

The soldier was 39 years old at the time and was getting ready for his third tour in Afghanistan when his post-traumatic stress syndrome stemming from his service combined with abuse he suffered when he was younger, became too much to handle.

"The issues if they hadn't been dealt with healed there and the cup gets too full," she said. "You keep putting issue after issue after it so the second deployment very rough due to the people he worked with."

The last nine years haven't been easy for Lana, who leans on her faith to get through each day. She fondly remembers her husband when she looks back to photos of their times together with her son.

"He loved to have fun," Lana said. "Family was very important to him. He was a giver, he was kind, he really enjoyed life."

This makes her trip on Wednesday to Washington, DC even more special.

Vice-President Mike Pence and his wife have invited 17 Gold Star wives from across the country to the White House - widows whose spouses died while serving in the Armed Forces or as a result of service connected disabilities.

"I feel very honored to be asked and I appreciate the fact when I have spoken the people give the Gold Star wives the personal time with Pence and his wife."

Lana is encouraged by this administration taking the time to honor surviving spouses and she hopes to share with the vice-president the importance of organizations like operation restored veteran which helps service men and women cope with issues like PTSD. Because Lana says - where there is help, there is hope.

"I'm blessed that by the grace of God I've healed, I'm doing well," she said. "I pray for the other families out there, that there is hope."