Holiday healing for the heart

Robert Hollier sat in the living room of his northeast Oklahoma City home on Thursday, as he had done on many previous Thanksgivings.

This year was more special than previous holidays, though. When Hollier crossed a side door threshold shortly before 4 p.m., it was the first time since July 2006 that Hollier had been home.

Hollier, a 61-year-old Vietnam War veteran, is battling a fast-growing meningioma — a benign, slow-growing non-cancerous tumor. He has spent the past few years in hospitals and long-term nursing care centers, including the previous 10 months at the Norman Veterans Center.

"You just don't know how much it means to me. Words can't explain it, how happy it makes me to be here,” he said.

Hollier was most looking forward to spending time with his family.

"Really, the food is secondary,” he said. "But I'm looking forward to that, too. Having some home cookin'.”

Robert Hollier visited with his wife, Ella, daughter Lori and grandchildren Sabrina, Kameron and Makayla. Coincidentally, Robert and Ella Hollier celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary Thursday.

"I told her to set the date, and she set it on the opening day of quail season. I said, ‘Oh, no, you can't have that one. I'll marry you the next day,'” Robert Hollier said. "And I didn't miss opening day.”

He almost didn't get to go home for Thanksgiving.

Wednesday night, he was taken to Norman Regional Hospital because he had a kidney stone.

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