Desert Rain Consulting
John Caldwell III
President
June 9, 2025
Dear Honorable Judge James O. Browning:
My name is John Caldwell, the older brother of David Caldwell, a current resident of Veterans Independent Living Association (VILA) in Albuquerque, NM. David is an Air Force veteran, who discharged in 1980 after serving at both Lakenheath AFB in UK and Minot AFB in North Dakota. I am writing in support of Faye Janzad, the owner and founder of VILA and the person who has saved my brother’s life. I was on the witness list for Faye’s recent trial, although I was not called to testify on her behalf.
My brother David is a severe schizophrenic, who exhibited signs of his disease later than most in 1985 at the age of 29. Before that, after dropping out of HS in 10th grade and getting his GED, he enlisted in the Air Force, where he graduated top of class in Military Police. After discharge, he took his ACT and scored a perfect score in science, then graduated from UNM with a degree in Microbiology. He worked at Sandia Labs doing brain research, then quit to start a Pharmacy degree. After multiple breaks, he had a very severe break while driving a semi across country to make money and try again to graduate. Since then, he has been hospitalized at the VA at least 30 times in the last 30 years including many stays in the psych ward (Ward 7) in ABQ and a six month stay in San Angelo when the ABQ VA couldn’t handle him. He can be a dangerous person when not taking his medication, as he is a 3rd degree brown belt in full contact Chinese Kempo martial arts. He is skilled in hand-to-hand and weapons combat.
Before living at VILA for the last 6 years, David lived alone for 20 years, then with my mother for a couple of years. After a break, he threatened to “send her through the portal”, so my mother barricaded herself in her room in the trailer they shared and called my wife who called 911. Six police arrived to take David to the VA, and he put 3 or 4 in the hospital, with multiple injuries. No charges were pressed after he was released back to the VA psych ward. On another occasion he quit eating for several months while living alone and no VA social workers were able to get him to answer the door. The police would not enter the apartment. I hired a PI to surveil his apartment to see if he was even alive. With no sign of life, finally on Christmas I went in followed by the manager. We found David nearly dead on his bed, after losing 100 lbs (260 to 160) from living on water as he believed his food was being poisoned. He was completely psychotic. Although weak, he took a swing at me, while not recognizing either me or a photo of our mother on the wall. Another trip to the psych ward for 6 months, including shock treatments. He has now been on every known anti-psychotic medication and was put on his last option: Clozapine. This medication requires blood work every month and inclusion on a national database, as 1-2% of the treated population develop leukemia. He has been on this medication for several years.
4109 St Michaels Drive, Farmington, NM 87401
505.860.9155
caldwell3_87401@msn.com
Desert Rain Consulting
John Caldwell III
President
After this last event, my sister (in Anchorage and his only living relative other than me) and I decided with the VA case worker/psychiatric nurse that David could no longer be alone and needed to be in a group home with daily surveillance.
The first home David was placed in was very substandard, but was all David could afford at $650/mo. The rent was raised to $700/mo without his consent in the second month. The home, although VA recommended, supplied room and board, but had no medical management at all. The home was run by a woman who was both abusive and neglectful with 6–8 patients in a 3 BR home. After 4 months, the VA case worker recommended VILA, even though David could not afford it. Ms. Faye offered David a place to stay at a deeply reduced rate of $630/mo out of the kindness of her heart in July 2019. This included food and food preparation, hygiene products, clothing, medication management, and transportation to and from the VA for appts. David has been there ever since. He is safe, happy, and well cared for and always has been with VILA.
I tell you all this to put David’s life in context. He is 68 and my baby brother. He has never been married. His disability is likely both genetic and perhaps service abuse related (although never proven). He is not eligible for any service-related support. Although extremely intelligent, he cannot work and is fully disabled. He has been robbed at gunpoint twice while attempting to work delivering pizzas in between breaks. All he has to live on is SSI (about $274/mo) and Social Security (about $693/month) and food stamps. Although both my sister and I have contributed what we can, we cannot afford to support him in any other situation we have found ($2500/mo to $5000/mo minimum, with 24/7 care probably double that). I bought him a truck, but after multiple accidents, he has no transportation. If not for VILA and the kindness for veterans Ms. Faye has shown him, David would be dead. The VA psychiatrist that administered his shock treatments in 2019 told me that David was the worst case of schizophrenia he had seen in his over 20 yr of practice at the VA hospital in ABQ. He is on his last available medication, chlorazipine. His doctors have told his sister Beth and me that if the shock treatments didn’t work, he would die. There was only a 50% chance it would work, and it did. The Dr also told us that if chlorazipine quits working, he will die, as he has been on every other anti-psychotic. None work any longer.
So, I owe my deepest gratitude to Ms. Faye and VILA and her staff there. I am aware there is no other program like hers in the US. I believe it is her selfless dedication to her veterans that has allowed my brother to live. Her staff make sure David takes his medication, eats properly, and can make it to his appointments if help is needed. This is unheard of for traditional “group homes” that I’ve interviewed in ABQ.
Desert Rain Consulting
John Caldwell III
President
As the American Red Cross NM Chapter board chair for over 5 years and a member of the leadership team at the Red Cross in the state for 17y, I have witnessed those without means, and under duress. I understand budgets, running an organization, and compassion. I am a registered Professional Petroleum Engineer and have worked in the Upstream sector for 47 years in several companies in many leadership roles. I have been deposed many times in various court settings and testified as an expert witness in 10 states. I have testified at the NM legislature on David’s behalf in support of a bill asking for family members to force the police to go into a house with a loved one inside. The bill failed in committee.
I have been asked and agreed to serve on VILA’s board to help Ms. Faye in her mission of helping those veterans among us that cannot help themselves. I can offer my experience in business and non-profit settings to help. My uncle Thor was killed on Iwo Jima in spring 1945 on his second tour of duty with Carlson’s Raiders (the precursor to today’s Special Forces). He was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism and left behind a pregnant wife. I strongly believe in the work that Ms. Faye and VILA do for our veterans, who are often forgotten by their families or communities. If not for Ms. Faye, my only brother would be dead, and I am immensely grateful for the work Ms. Faye and VILA have done to build an organization and a home for so many who have no other.
I close by asking you to consider all the information I have shared about my brother’s particular situation, and the kindness and compassion you have heard about Ms. Faye and VILA in this submittal as you make your final determination of this case.
Respectfully,
(signature)
John W Caldwell III
President
NM PE 26136
OK PE 14092
4109 St Michaels Drive, Farmington, NM 87401
505.860.9155
caldwell3_87401@msn.com
The Roger's House 
Leave a comment