'Wounded Warrior' Project Opens New Vistas

Over the years, my work in O&P marketing has brought me the good fortune of meeting hundreds of people in all aspects of the business. I have come to know O&P practitioners from around the country and manufacturers who work tirelessly to improve the products they develop that make life easier, more comfortable, and more functional for the people wearing them. My work with O&P practice newsletters and in the development of Disabled Sports USA's (DS/USA) publication Challenge Magazine has given me the opportunity to meet people whose lives have been altered by illness or injury and who meet the difficulties of those changes daily, and with success. We have published amazing stories about regular people who once thought their lives were over --and later learned they'd really just begun. Overwhelmingly, these stories tell of people who experienced despair and uncertainty after the loss of a limb, and later questioned what lifehad in store for them. But surprisingly, the stories never end that way, but continue on with tales of achievement, determination, and success. Through my work with Challenge Magazine , I have learned of The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a program that is helping other amputees. Group Aids Veterans A program of United Spinal Association, The Wounded Warrior Project is an initiative that helps our heroes, the severely wounded veterans of the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places where our military is active, heal from their traumatic injuries. These wounded soldiers, from burn victims to amputees, return to civilian lifewith new and increased challenges. That is where WWP steps in. A soldier's first contact with WWP is through the group's backpack program, which delivers much-needed toiletry and comfort items to soldiers upon their return to America. As the recovery process continues, emotional support, benefits counseling, vocational training, plus information on employment opportunities and other resources are offered. Gaining Confidence through Sports Getting the wounded back on their feet, literally and figuratively, is the group's mission. Partnerships with DS/USA, HBO's "Inside the NFL," and other organizations supporting sports programs for the disabled have been formed to help these veterans. WWP director John Melia has said sports are important for successful rehabilitation and people with disabilities are not limited in what they can participate in. The programs conducted by DS/USA and supported by WWP, the NFL, and others show the soldiers how bright the future can be. A full list of events can be found on the DS/USA website, www.dsusa.org . Events are planned throughout the country in conjunction with DS/USA chapters and include all aspects of sports. The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project will provide all basic expenses for disabled soldier participation in programs, including, where necessary, airfare, lodging, ground transportation, adaptive equipment, instructors, and meals. Sports events are designed to accommodate "first-ever" as well as the more experienced participants. O&P firms can participate by volunteering and encouraging their patients to get involved. WWP's website, www.woundedwarriorproject.com , pays tribute to all the wounded and shares the stories of several in its photo essay. One young soldier commented, "All I really want out of this is to be able to walk again, to run again...I don't need a medal or any kind of badge or award that says who I am, because I know who I am. I'm not a hero. I'm a survivor." Supply Chief Eric Alva, the first soldier injured in Iraq and a transfemoral amputee, has attended several DS/USA events. "So many new doors of physical activity have opened up for me. I have now been skiing, rock climbing, scuba diving, swimming, and I have even begun to run again. There is one thing I will always remember: 'If I can do this, I can do anything.' Sure enough, thanks to Disabled Sports USA, I am doing everything." Visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org for more information or to donate to the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, go to www.dsusa.org Patty Johnson is the executive vice president of Ron Sonntag Public Relations, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A major portion of her career has been devoted to public relations and marketing programs involving the prosthetics and orthotics field. Contact her at patty@rspr.com

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