Tom Hanks is here once again to remind people why he is so likable.
Friday morning, Hanks surprised a wounded veteran and his wife on The Today Show as a part his work as campaign chair of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Hidden Heroes campaign.
The heartwarming video shows Hanks greeting Pat and Jimmy Ochan each with a jovial bear hug, much to their astonishment. Jimmy Ochan was deployed three times as a U.S. marine in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through his service he sustained a traumatic brain injury, shrapnel wounds and now suffers from PTSD. Pat opted to put aside her pursuit of a Ph.D to care for him and their son.
Initiated in 2016, the Hidden Heroes campaign “brings vital attention to the untold stories of military caregivers and seeks solutions for the tremendous challenges and long-term needs they face,” according to their mission statement. Hidden Heroes provides resources for families of wounded veterans, helping to connect them with volunteer caregivers in addition to other support resources.
Hanks has been a chairman of the campaign since its inception, and stressed the importance of providing assistance to these families. “It is 24 hours a day that that loved one is going to require a certain type of care and attention…and one family can not do it by themselves,” he said in the segment.
“Everybody can write a check, without a doubt. But it is not a substitute for one on one connection.” Hanks said.
See the video below.
