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'Wounded Warrior' Project Opens New Vistas
By Patty Johnson  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 
Table Of Contents - June 2005
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