Let's help the families of our wounded military

Let's help the families of our wounded military

Date published: 9/9/2009

The report about University of Mary Washington professor Ranjit Singh on his recent tour of Afghanistan ["Student, professor meet in Afghanistan," Aug. 29] reminds us of the heavy price being paid by our troops as casualty rates rise in that war-torn country.

That price is increasingly evident here at home, as the wounded continue to arrive at Veterans Affairs hospitals like the McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, which specializes in treating spinal cord and brain injuries, hallmarks of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The untold story behind these devastating injuries is the tremendous stress they place on family members who take on full-time roles to provide care to their injured loved ones, often giving up their jobs.

While the injured Marines and soldiers receive outstanding medical care, the families receive only minimal travel assistance as they try to cope as caregivers in a downward-spiraling economy.

For more than three years, an organization of volunteers based in Fredericksburg and Richmond has quietly provided financial support to the overwhelmed families who arrive at McGuire to be at the bedsides of their severely wounded family members.

To date, almost 200 families have received assistance from the Families of the Wounded Fund, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) charity, which directs 100 percent of its donations to the families.

Most of the wounded troops are young, and their lives, along with those of their families, have been changed forever.

They understand the high cost of freedom and deserve all the support we can muster.

Douglass C. Horstman

Spotsylvania

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Date published: 9/9/2009

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