Meet Teri & Patrick Caserta

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Teri & Patrick Caserta. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Teri & Patrick, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Patrick and I found our purpose the moment we realized that Brandon’s story could save the lives of others. The Brandon Act, a military law that gives active-duty service members the right to ask for and receive the help they need, became the foundation of that purpose.

Through The Brandon Act and The Brandon Caserta Foundation, we fight for real change, empower those who feel unheard, and ensure support is always within reach. We turned our grief into a mission: to protect service members, give them a voice, and prevent any family from experiencing the loss we endured.

Helping others is where we found meaning, and it is where Brandon’s legacy continues to live. What happened to Brandon should never happen to another service member. Our purpose is to save lives and drive the change Brandon deserved.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Through The Brandon Act and The Brandon Caserta Foundation, Patrick and I pour our hearts into protecting the men and women who protect all of us. After losing our son Brandon to military suicide, our world shattered, but in that darkness, we found a purpose we never expected. We realized his story could save others, and that became the driving force behind everything we do.

The Brandon Act is now a military law, and it gives service members something Brandon never had: the right to ask for help safely, privately, and without fear of retaliation. Knowing that this law is already saving lives is incredibly meaningful. Every time someone reaches out and tells us they got help because of The Brandon Act, it feels like Brandon is still here, still making a difference.

What is most special about our work is the connection we have with these families and service members. They trust us with their pain, their fear, and their hope. They know we understand. Our foundation offers guidance, compassion, and a voice for those who feel forgotten or unheard. We walk alongside them because no one should ever have to face these struggles alone.

What’s new for us is expanding our outreach to future service members, those preparing to enter the military who need to know their rights before they ever put on a uniform. If they understand that asking for help is not weakness but courage, we can save even more lives.

Everything we do is for Brandon and for every service member who has ever felt lost, alone, or silenced. Our mission is built on love, fueled by grief, and carried forward by the belief that every life is worth fighting for. And we will keep fighting until no family has to endure the pain that changed our lives forever.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, the three qualities that mattered most in this journey were courage, perseverance, and compassion.

Courage was the very first step. After losing Brandon, speaking out publicly about what happened to him and about military suicide required a type of courage we did not know we had. But we quickly learned that silence helps no one. Courage is what allowed us to fight for The Brandon Act, to sit in rooms with lawmakers, and to relive our greatest pain so others could be protected.

Perseverance carried us through every obstacle. Creating a federal law is not easy, and changing a system as large as the U.S. military is even harder. There were many moments when we were told “no,” or “this will never happen,” but perseverance kept us moving. We refused to quit because lives were at stake and because Brandon deserved better.

Compassion is at the heart of everything we do. The Brandon Caserta Foundation was built on compassion for service members who feel lost, silenced, or unsupported. Listening to their stories, offering guidance, and being a voice for those who don’t have one, that compassion has shaped every step of our mission.

Our advice for others is this:

1. Lead with your heart. Whether you’re advocating, building something new, or trying to make change, stay connected to your “why.” Passion is what sustains you.

2. Be relentless. The path will be difficult, and people may doubt you. Don’t let obstacles silence your purpose.

3. Never underestimate the impact of kindness. Compassion builds trust, inspires community, and opens doors that strength alone cannot.

This journey has taught us that one voice, even one rooted in tremendous loss, can spark national change. And if your mission comes from a place of love, it will reach people in ways you never imagined.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The number one challenge we are facing right now is awareness and full implementation of The Brandon Act. Even though it is federal law, many service members still don’t know their rights, don’t understand the process, or are afraid to use it because of the culture of stigma that still exists around mental health in the military.

Changing a law was one battle — changing a culture is another.

We are working to overcome this challenge along with the ongoing need for consistent sponsorships and donations through relentless education, outreach, advocacy, and relationship-building. These efforts allow us to continue this vital work. We travel to bases, speak at schools and community events, support families directly, and use every platform available to spread the message that service members now have a safe, protected way to ask for help — all at no cost to them or their families.

We are also pushing for stronger training within the military, greater accountability among leadership, and more rigorous oversight to ensure The Brandon Act is implemented exactly as it was intended.
Our goal is simple:

No service member should ever be unaware of their rights, afraid to seek help, or forced to suffer in silence.

By continuing to raise awareness, build partnerships, grow financial support, and give a voice to the people who feel unheard, we are working every day to overcome this challenge and to honor Brandon’s legacy by saving as many lives as possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brandoncasertafoundation.org & https://www.thebrandonact.org
• Instagram: @thebrandonact
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrandonact & https://www.facebook.com/bcasertafoundation/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-brandon-act-719821228/
• Twitter: @BrandonCasertaF