Brother’s suicide inspires founding of Hidden Wounds to help combat veterans
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb. 14, 2010) – In the aftermath of her brother’s suicide, Anna Bigham vowed to find a way to help other combat veterans and their families battle the demons of war.
So, with friends and family, Bigham founded Hidden Wounds, a non-profit organization that offers a bridge to sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression to medical and psychological services while waiting to enter the over-stretched Veterans Affairs health care system.
Hidden Wounds seeks to stem the alarming increase in suicide among young veterans. It also aims to teach families about how to recognize symptoms of PTSD and depression so they can guide their veterans toward care.
Hidden Wounds is needed because the VA is struggling to provide psychiatric care and counseling for thousands of veterans returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq. For example:
– A federal study found one out of every five veterans have some form of PTSD, traumatic brain injury or depression.
– The VA recently reported that the suicide rate among veterans 18 to 29 years old rose 26 percent from 2005 to 2007.
Hidden Wounds is pursuing its mission with the blessing of the VA, founders say. Not only can Hidden Wounds provide stop-gap help, it also is a touchstone for service members who suffer from PTSD but are reluctant to notify commanders.
Anna Bigham illustrates the need for Hidden Wounds by telling the tragic story of her brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Mills Palmer Bigham.
A member of Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment, Mills Bigham was a veteran of two combat tours in Iraq. He also suffered from PTSD and depression – commonly referred to as the “hidden wounds” of combat.
Months after re-entering civilian life, Mills found it increasingly difficult to cope, believing people could see the fighting he had done in Iraq and would judge him harshly. On Oct. 19, 2009 — just a year after being honorably discharged — 23-year-old Mills Bigham took his life.
Educating veterans’ families about the symptoms and danger signs of PTSD is an essential part of the Hidden Wounds mission, Anna Bigham says.
“I truly believe that the primary advocates for stopping PTSD suicides among our military are the very people who suffered alongside of their loved one,” she says. “It is a different reality for the family members who did not see the suffering. It’s heart shattering to not do anything about it.”
For more information, go to www.hiddenwounds.org or send an e-mail to info@hiddenwounds.org. Interviews with Anna Bigham and her father, John Bigham, can be arranged by contacting Chris Younts ext 6 with Hidden Wounds at (803) 403-8460. Hidden Wounds is a 501-3-C non-profit organization.
Download the 12/14/2010 Press Release in Adobe PDF format.
The mission of Hidden Wounds is to provide peace of mind and comfort for military personnel suffering from combat stress injuries such as PTSD and TBI until the Veteran’s Administration or Veteran’s Affairs agencies can deliver long-term services to our clients through government programs.
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Glad to hear of your organization. This is a necessary
assistance to many who have been in combat. I’ve had quite a few
military in my congregations over the years, and have seen first
hand the ongoing results of the hidden wounds received in the
course of serving their country and protecting the rest of us. The
name of your organization caught my attention because it is the
same as a song I wrote concerning hidden wounds those even in the
civilian population suffer from. Makes me think I need to add a
verse especially for soldiers after exploring your site. Here’s
that song we recorded last summer on our first trip through
Nashville. I wrote it after a year in which my immediate family had
seven separate hospitalizations, all due to hidden wounds, rather
than physical ones. This is a problem that is increased by military
duty certainly, but is not confined to that population alone. May
God bless your efforts on behalf of our returning soldiers. They
come back with wounds that can’t be seen, but are still felt, and
sometimes are deadly. Sincerely, Pastor Skip Johnson Hidden Wounds
Her life is a kite spinning out of control, Why can’t she get it
together? She strives for the skies, then crashes to earth– It
seems like it goes on forever. Existence is nightmare far more than
a dream. If you ask her the cause, if she could, she would
scream… Hidden Wounds can bleed for years and years. Sometimes
they can kill you. Hidden Wounds can cut so deep into your soul
That the darkness creeps into you When hungry shadows are dragging
you down, And terrible old ghosts rise up from the ground– Its no
wonder that life is spinning around Till a cure’s finally found for
Hidden Wounds. He smokes his weed and he’s lost his last job, Seems
he has no fixed ambition. He dropped out of school, then dropped
out of life. He hopes he won’t attract attention. Don’t tell him to
soar, don’t urge that he thrive– He struggles each day to simply
survive. Hidden Wounds can bleed for years and years. Sometimes
they can kill you. Hidden Wounds can cut so deep into your soul
That the darkness creeps into you When hungry shadows are dragging
you down, And terrible old ghosts rise up from the ground– Its no
wonder that life is spinning around Till a cure’s finally found for
Hidden Wounds. If you’re stuck in a wheel chair, folks understand.
If you’ve lost both your legs, they’ll grieve with you. But if
demons you fight lurk deep within, Will anyone even believe you?
Will anyone even believe you? Will anyone even believe? Hidden
Wounds can bleed for years and years. Sometimes they can kill you.
Hidden Wounds can cut so deep into your soul That the darkness
creeps into you When hungry shadows are dragging you down, And
terrible old ghosts rise up from the ground– Its no wonder that
life is spinning around Till a cure’s finally found for Hidden
Wounds. For Hidden Wounds. For Hidden Wounds. c2010 Skip Johnson
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