From the beginning, my daughter, Therese Frentz, was a child with whom any parent would feel blessed.

In addition to being beautiful, Therese was bright, responsible and wise beyond her years. Having grown up in the Tallahassee area, she grew to love the challenge and structure that school provided. She grew increasingly competitive and developed a drive for perfection.

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As one achievement followed another, you could sense her need for challenge and responsibility. This need combined with her value of honor led to an interest in the military. I was proud of her decision to serve in the military after her graduation from the University of Florida, but I had my share of misgivings. Unfortunately, some of my worst fears were realized.

As a first lieutenant in the Air Force, Therese was called to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. As an OSI officer, she looked forward to helping identify those who would do harm to her fellow service men and women. It was while working in this capacity that Therese truly, if ever so briefly, came into her own and gained a sense of being in command. The last call I received from her before the bombing was to tell me how she was coming to master her responsibilities and was becoming a "go-to" person.

Then on Oct. 14, 2004, we received the news every parent fears. Therese was sitting in the Green Zone Cafe when one of two suicide bombers detonated his explosives. Therese was blown 25 to 30 feet in the air. We were informed that she was still alive, but that her burns and injuries were so severe that there was no certainty of her survival.

In addition to suffering second- and third-degree burns over 30 percent of her body, she received shrapnel wounds and severe blunt-force trauma injuries. She had 15 pieces of metal removed from her head. Some of the wounds resulted in tissue loss, including the loss of her left ear, most of which was miraculously saved and surgically reattached, and a 3-by-8-inch loss of muscle at the side of her left knee.

In addition to suffering a severe concussion, she suffered a brain hematoma and had to undergo a second abdominal surgery due to shrapnel injuries to her kidney, spleen injury and removal and ongoing concerns over sepsis. She had to undergo eight or more skin graft operations. She lost 85 percent of the hearing in her left ear.

Her twin sister, Thera, quit her job and Jill, their mother, took an indefinite leave of absence from her job so they could assist with her care. Thera, who was engaged to her now husband, a Marine helicopter pilot, started planning to postpone the wedding, but once Therese was able to communicate, she asked that they not postpone it because she wanted to use the wedding as motivation for her recovery. No father could have any more respect and pride in his children for the way they inspired and took care of each other.

Those first several months were an extended nightmare, but thanks to Therese being a couple of feet farther away from the explosion than those who died or were more grievously injured, her excellent physical condition and fantastic medical care, she survived.

There are blessings within this tragedy for our family, but let's not forget that other families have not been so lucky. Please remember to keep not just Therese, but all those who are recuperating from injuries, as well as those who continue to serve our country, in your thoughts and prayers. People need to know the sacrifices our military and support personnel are making and that the suffering is real and devastating.

For those asking how they can help, contact the Fisher Foundation, which provided airline tickets and housing for the family members or those injured while serving in the military.

Although it has been over two years since the bombing, our entire family feels blessed that Therese is with us. The attack has left her with severe physical scarring and the need to find closure to the emotional aftermath. I am encouraged by her recent progress.

My dream is to have Therese see herself the way I do: perfect. In order to achieve this dream, I am doing everything in my power to seek the very best treatment that exists.

We are hoping the alleviation of Therese's physical scars will pave the road toward the resolution to the emotional aftermath.

Unfortunately, we don't have the means to provide this treatment on our own. That is why we are asking if there are any burn/cosmetic specialists who would be willing to donate their services.

After all the sacrifices Therese has made for her country, we're hoping there's a fellow American out there who will be just as generous.