Army veteran’s dying wish is to get a call from you — literally

He’s only 47 years old, but his life is already coming to an end. Ailing Army veteran Lee Hernandez has one dying wish, and he literally wants you to be a part of it.

Hernandez’s final wish is to receive phone calls from people all across the country, the Arizona Republic reported.

The dying veteran served for 18 1/2 years in the military, including a tour of duty in Iraq. But now, the once agile soldier lies idle at his home in New Braunfels, Texas, where he is receiving hospice care. To date, Hernandez, who has suffered several strokes, has undergone three brain surgeries.

The doctors have been unable to pinpoint what exactly has caused Hernandez’s illness, and said the only thing they can do is make him as comfortable as possible. The best way to do that, according to the veteran’s wife, Ernestine, is with phone calls and text messages.

Hernandez asked his wife to hold his phone one day, just “in case someone calls.” When the phone never rang, Hernandez became despondent.

“I guess no one wants to talk to me,” he said, according to the Republic.

Ernestine said his low spirits “broke my heart,” adding, “[Lee’s] speech is not very well, so many people didn’t take much interest or want to talk with him.”

But all of that changed when Hernandez’s wife reached out to Caregivers of Wounded Warriors. Ever since the veterans group shared his story on Facebook, Hernandez’s phone has been inundated with text messages and phone calls.

An Army veteran's dying wish is to hear from you.. the Arizona Veterans Forum posted his last wish on... https://t.co/E7amcS21Fc

— Peni Basse (@pmbasse) July 14, 2017

“A lot of people call to pray with him. It really uplifts him,” said Ernestine, who reads the text messages and cards to her husband because he is nearly blind.

The 47-year-old veteran has been fighting this inexplicable illness for five years, but he hit “rock bottom” about a year ago. Nevertheless, Ernestine said her husband is a “fighter” and has “beaten the odds and his strong will keeps him going.”

For those who want to reach out to Hernandez, his phone number is 210-632-6778. The best hours to reach him are in the early evening hours (Central Daylight Time), because that’s when he is most alert.

“Thank you everyone for your calls and support. I am trying to give him the best life I am able to with the help of my mom,” Ernestine said. “The experience is very painful, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

TheBlaze reached out to Hernandez, but did not hear back from him by press time.