“>
Gabe Fleck, a southside Indianapolis resident, feeds to treat to Alice, his new service dog during the Strikes for Heroes bowling fundraiser at Royal Expo Lanes in Indianapolis on April 27. Fleck, a U.S. Navy veteran who suffered life-altering injuries while serving, received the dog from Whalen’s Heroes, a nonprofit group that raises money to provide service dogs to area veterans. SUBMITTED PHOTO
In the dog’s gentle eyes and eager demeanor, a sense of comfort settled in.
Gabe Fleck knelt down to pet Alice, his new support dog. The U.S. Navy veteran suffered a near-fatal accident while serving on the USS Ronald Reagan, falling 30 feet down a ladderwell, shattering his right leg and fracturing his back.
Fleck spent months in recovery after a double spinal fusion. Even today, he deals with pain that impacts his everyday life — as well as the waves of anxiety surrounding his injuries and the depression that can come with those feelings.
He’s a firm believer that Alice can help with that.
“This dog is not going to heal my pain, but it will help me understand when I’m at my limit. Then I can remove myself from a high-stress situation,” he said.
Fleck, a southside Indianapolis resident, was one of two local veterans surprised on April 27 with support dogs. The animals had been arranged through Whalen’s Heroes, a central Indiana nonprofit that raises money to train support dogs for local military veterans.
During the organization’s Strikes for Heroes bowling fundraiser at Royal Pin Expo in Beech Grove, Alice came out to meet Fleck for the first time. The connection was immediate.
“I was overcome with joy. I’m an emotional guy, but I haven’t been too open with my struggles; it’s been difficult for me to open up about it. But when I saw (Alice), I broke down and was overcome with joy that God blessed me with this dog,” he said.
Being able to forge a bond between a deserving veteran and a loving dog strikes to the heart of what Whalen’s Heroes is all about.
“They see things and experience things that the rest of us here at home probably will never see or experience,” said Dawn Whalen, founder of Whalen’s Heroes. “And it does take a toll on them mentally, emotionally and affects their quality of life. The reason we wanted to do this was to give them a better quality of life.”
Whalen’s Heroes was born in 2022, when Whalen, owner of Whalen Realty Group, attended an educational event geared towards helping real estate agents to be better advocates for military veterans in the housing market. There, she learned of the difficulties so many veterans face following service.
One of the key takeaways was how important service dogs can be to help veterans with everyday life, Whalen said.
Research led by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine found that service dogs might be able to offer both behavioral and physiological benefits to help counter some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The dogs have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, mitigate depression, ease social reintegration, provide comfort and restore confidence in affected veterans.
Many organizations work to match veterans with service dogs. But the waiting list can be lengthy, and the cost is often prohibitive — $25,000 per dog or more. The mission of Whalen’s Heroes, then, would be to raise money to train service dogs for local veterans and first responders.
“The cost of the dog is cost prohibitive for many people, not just veterans. We target the veterans and first-responder groups, because they write a blank check for their lives,” Whalen said.
The group presented its first service dog in November 2022. Since then, they’ve been focused on raising money to do more — even if the process can be arduous.
“We’re still plugging away on it,” Whalen said.
In 2023, Whalen’s Heroes held four different fundraisers and raised more than $50,000 to train the dogs through Ultimate Canine, a Westfield-based facility that puts the animals through the lengthy process of becoming a service dog.
At the same time, officials took applications from two veterans who could benefit from a service dog, including Fleck.
He had grown up on the southside of Indianapolis, attending school at St. Roch Catholic School before graduating from Cathedral High School. While at Purdue University, he earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and supervision, graduating in 2009.
But after graduation, with the country roiled in recession, Fleck decided to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and join the U.S. Navy.
“My grandfather was a World War II submarine veteran. He has always been my hero, always been my inspiration,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to serve my country, honor my family heritage and provide for my family.”
After qualifying for the Navy’s Nuclear Power School in Charleston, S.C., he became a machinist’s mate on the USS Ronald Reagan. While on deployment in Bremerton, Washington, Fleck fell and suffered devastating injuries.
“I came within a fraction of an inch of dying. My head was right next to some steel scaffolding; I landed in the one spot that saved my life which wouldn’t have knocked me out,” he said.
Still, the damage was severe. Fleck had broken his back in two places, ruptured two discs and shattered his right leg. Surgeons rebuilt his leg using metal implants from his foot to the top part of his leg. He required extensive therapy just to be able to walk again.
Continued pain led doctors to discover the fractures in his back and the rupture. He went through a 10-hour surgery to fuse his spine where it was broken. Together, the injuries to his back and leg have restricted his mobility in myriad ways, impacting not only him but his wife, Erin, and their children — Sam, 12, Sarah, 9, Noah, 6, and 2-year-old Natalie.
“It’s affected how I move. I’m 12 years out from surgery, and still feel the pain every day. I still feel the anxieties of not being able to do the things I used to,” he said. “And it affected my wife. She’s had to pick up the slack of my limited abilities. She helps around the house more than I’d ever like her to, but she’s a rock star.”
After Fleck medically retired from the Navy in 2014, he and his family moved back to Indianapolis. Their return led Fleck to connect with Whalen’s Heroes.
A series of fortunate coincidences brought the two sides together. Erin Fleck had known Greg Stevens, vice president of the Whalen’s Heroes board, since she was a senior at Whiteland Community High School. Through a school project, she had been a pen pal with him while he was served in the U.S. Marines overseas, and once she and Fleck were married, they encountered one another at a wedding.
Then in 2017, Fleck was looking for the right job, and a mentor of his suggested he talk to one of his friends. That friend ended up being Stevens, and he and Fleck have been close ever since.
Stevens was the one who encouraged Fleck to look into a service dog.
“He knew my story, and he knew my struggles. He recommended I apply for one,” Fleck said.
More than a year ago, he sent in his application, but didn’t hear anything. He admitted that he forgot about it. But the team at Whalen’s Heroes were in contact with Erin Fleck and the family, and let them know he had been approved for a dog.
At the Strikes for Heroes event on April 27, the journey came full circle. Fleck and another Indiana veteran, Ryan Powers, each got to interact with their animals for the first time. Inside the bowling alley, Fleck and his family showered Alice with attention, giving her treats and posing for pictures with her.
Since Alice is still in training, she didn’t go home with the Flecks. But she soon will, and the family is excited to welcome her in.
“There’s going to be a learning curve here, but I’m thrilled at the opportunity this could provide for me to be a better husband, a better father, a better friend, a better son, and even a better employee,” he said. “I’m excited to see what changes this can make for the betterment of everybody, really.”
Even as Whalen’s Heroes was presenting the dogs to Fleck and Powers, they were already thinking about the future. The group has received an application from another veteran, and hoped to use the money raised at Strikes for Heroes to soon train a dog for them.
“It is the best feeling in the world to be able to know that we’re making a difference, and we’re making a difference not only in the veteran’s life, but in the family’s life as well,” Whalen said.
For Fleck, he hopes that sharing his story convinces other veterans who might be struggling to look for help — it’s out there if you choose to embrace it, he said.
“I encourage them not to run from what you’re struggling with, to seek the help that’s available, whether that’s through counseling or a friend or whatever that is. Because there are too many folks who keep it in,” he said. “Hopefully, this raises awareness with other veterans to share their struggles and get the help that is there.”
AT A GLANCE
Whalen’s Heroes
What: A Greenwood-based nonprofit group that raises money for the training, successful placement and support of service animals to local veterans.
Founded: Mid 2022 by Greenwood resident Dawn Whalen
How to help: People hoping to support the organization’s mission can go to whalensheroes.com/donations.
How to apply: Men and women disabled in the line of duty while serving our country in the U.S. military, who now suffer from a clinical diagnosis of post-traumatic stress, can apply at whalensheroes.com/application.