Due to the advances in medicine and protective wear, brave men and women are surviving combat-related injuries at markedly higher rates than in past conflicts. This means that more fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and best friends are able to come home after being severely wounded. And these wounded heroes need our support.
Specifically, they need help in adapting to the life-altering changes that come with surviving severe injuries. For example, many need prosthetic limbs and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. And there's also a rise in an "invisible wound", traumatic brain injury.
According to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, between January 2003 and May 2005, 31% of those admitted had some kind of brain injury.
These brave men and women have given so much, and as a nation, we need to care about what happens to them after they come home. Please tell Congress not to forget about our wounded heroes and support their health care needs.
Thanks to mass utilization of protective wear and improvements in combat medicine, brave men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan are surviving combat-related injuries at markedly higher rates than their counterparts in World War II, Vietnam, and Korea.
But these men and women come home from Iraq and Afghanistan needing our help in adapting to the life-altering changes resulting from their injuries. Prosthetic limbs, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries are just a few examples.
These wounded heroes are important, and as a nation, we need to do all we can to honor their sacrifice and empower their independence.
[Your comments]
Please insure that these brave men and women receive the health care they deserve. The greatest causalty is being forgotten.
