Making A Difference!

Dear Hidden Wounds Supporters,

            The past few weeks and months have been a whirlwind of excitement as Hidden Wounds has gotten off the ground.  We had high expectations, but never thought things would come together this quickly, nor did we think we would get the publicity that we have.  All of these are blessings and are wonderful news as our mission grows.  There are quite a few people we would particularly like to thank, the first of whom is our highlight of the week:

• Dan Ramsey and Steven Diaz are heading up our Hidden Wounds Fire Team.  Their mission is to advocate for and promote Hidden Wounds and increase awareness for PTSD, TBI, psychological post-war injuries, stress combat challenges, and suicide prevention.  The Street Team will promote one of the VA’s new programs, “Care Partners”, which encourages veterans to sign necessary HIPPA forms so friends or family members can be updated on their medical details.  The new initiative will also allow Hidden Wounds to get significant medical information about a veteran seeking our help, simply allowing us to provide immediate assistance at a greater level.  This is a HUGE challenge and we are thrilled to have these two gentlemen signed on to help this amazing cause!  Contact  dan@hiddenwounds.org to be at part of the Street Team or for more information!
• HW Supporter of the Week: Andrew from Florence.  Thank you for your enthusiasm, encouragement, and support!
• Brett Flashnick with Flashnick Visuals for his creative talent and lead in internet design and marketing, wisdom in non-profit marketing, and his above and beyond dedication to HW!  The website looks amazing!
• Stephanie Bowman has been a huge source of valuable information and organization on the medical end of our establishment.  Stephanie, we appreciate your dedication, guidance, and endless efforts. 
• Ken Carey for his overall support, time and efforts through his HR and PR talents.  Ken you are truly amazing!
• Karen Haber and her team – SCMCA
• John Bigham for his love and support, dedication to speaking engagements, awareness, and fundraising.  Having him as part of our media interviews has kept a sentimental, emotional connection to our cause that is necessary to reach deep into the hearts of people suffering.
• The coordinators at Fatz Café have been incredibly generous to open their doors to Hidden Wounds to host a pancake breakfast fundraiser on March 6, 2010 from 7:30-10:30.  Alice Barnes, James Johnston, Jennifer, and her mother have all expressed overwhelming hospitality and effort to make this fundraising event a huge success.  We cannot thank you enough, it has been a fun and delightful adventure! We love Fatz Café on Forest Drive!
• A big thanks to the AFSP SC Chapter for their support and promotion of the pancake breakfast and their overall encouragement as our mission starts to come true.
• The State Newspaper, specifically Chuck Crumbo and Christopher Barry for an outstanding article and showcasing of Mills, his legacy, and Hidden Wounds.
• The USC reporters for their compassion and support, specifically Ed.
• Thanks so much to the many Hidden Wounds Facebook and Twitter fans for their encouragement and volunteer efforts. 
• Last, but certainly not least, we’d like to thank Margaret Ann Palmer, Mills Palmer Bigham’s mother, and John Bigham’s wife for her blessing of Hidden Wounds during this challenging grieving process.  We must remember that everyone mourns a loved ones loss in their own way.

Hidden Wounds also had some incredibly exciting news we wanted to share from this week.

• Dr. Gloria Neuman from the VA released a report that there have been no veteran suicides since the end of November 2009 in the Columbia, SC region.  This is record breaking, especially considering winter is peak season for suicides!  Awesome news!
• Perhaps the most exciting of all of this is that Hidden Wounds has helped their first 8 military personnel this week!  As a result of the great publicity we’ve received, we had families and veterans call seeking assistance!  We’re on our way!  Thanks to everyone who has helped us get there!

In closing, may we always be mindful of the severity and life changing impact that combat stress injuries have on our veterans.   Suffering and suicide is so woven in the fabric of life that it needs and must be addressed. To look away, or pretend to ignore it simply guarantees that we will continue to increasingly lose more beautiful, brave-hearted souls needlessly.  Join HW Fire Team, donate or sponsor an American hero by funding a combat veteran’s peace of mind today! 

Together we will make a difference, GET IN THE FIGHT!

Hidden Wounds

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 at 10:53 am. It is filed under News and tagged with post traumatic stress disorder, ptsd, soldier, va, Veterans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.