Soldier Home to Support Wife in Need of Transplant

It took Corporal Jason Hazelwood an entire day to get from Afghanistan to Little Rock.

"As soon as I saw the sign I said I can't cry, I can't cry."

But of course he did. They all did, even his 15 month old daughter, Havana.

But this is no ordinary soldier coming home from tour of duty.

He has another important duty to tend to.

His wife, 27 year old Stephanie Hazelwood, who was honorably discharged from the army, has been told she needs a liver transplant.

"Ahhh, it freaked me out. I mean I had gotten to the point where i couldn't take care of my myself, or my daughter, so I knew I had to have him."

"My whole chain of command did everything they could to get me out, cause we are in a very remote region, it's really hard to get to us. They changed flights around and everything, got a helicopter to get me back."

Until his arrival, her family has been by her side.

"She said he could take over, he's gonna do what's best for her. we all know that. so she's gonna be very well took care of."

"She had said to me at the hospital, grandma, I can't help but think someone's got to die so I can live, and what I said to her is thank god we can't make that choice, we don't make life and we don't make death."

There is some good news, "They approved me and put me on the liver transplant list here at U-A-M-S, so I'm just waiting."

A wait that Stephanie says could be a week from now or two months from now, but "I'm on the list and I know it's gonna happen."