Tragically Injured Vet Need Home
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Sometimes many of us find ourselves wondering how we can make a positive difference in this wonderful, wacky orb we call earth. We may speculate that those actions should impact hundreds or even thousands of people. But frequently, the most positive and lasting of changes occur at the grassroots level – when we focus on helping “just” one person at a time. This is one of those instances.
U.S. Army veteran Pam Kelly served as the first response combat medic in her unit. In 2002 while training for deployment to Iraq, she was crushed by a load from a sling load operation that went very wrong. (Sling load is the process of transferring cargo by means of a long steel cable hung directly beneath a helicopter.)
Pam’s catastrophic injuries included a crushed spine, severe head injuries and torn shoulders. She lives with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and numerous other medical issues. This brave Army veteran is now a partial quadriplegic with only limited mobility in her left arm.
Despite her many injuries and with little support and no family, Pam immersed herself in adaptive sports – something that gave her a reason to push beyond her injuries. Sadly, her participation in adaptive sports would cause additional injuries to a body that had already endured so much.
In 2016, the Army vet was diagnosed with a shoulder tear and an elbow problem. She underwent surgery but due to complications, she was no longer able to participate in her beloved adaptive sports.
Pam now lives in Tampa, FL in a home that is not equipped to accommodate her many physical challenges. It’s impossible for her to leave her home unless she has assistance. Access to the world around her has become much more limited.
Villagers for Veterans, a well-respected nonprofit, wants to change that. They are raising funds to provide Pam with a SMART HOME that will cater to her physical challenges.
Many organizations build SMART HOMES for severely injured veterans. Unfortunately, Pam is not eligible because she was injured during a training exercise and not in direct combat. In addition, even though she has been classified by the VA as 100% disabled, she had only 17 years of active duty service and does not qualify to receive any retirement benefits from the Army.
This brave veteran has been fighting stateside battles for many years completely by herself. Once again, she has no family. Villagers for Veterans believes they can change that – with your help. Pam’s 17 years of active duty service to our country has earned her the right to own a home that is adapted to her needs – a home that will open new doors of independence.
The cost of the home is being driven by the requirements of the VA to make it totally accessible to a person with the many injuries Pam has suffered. We have located a VA approved contractor who has agreed to build a completely adapted home in accordance with all the proper VA standards, and to do it just for the cost of materials – his donation to this effort. We intend to build this home in The Villages, FL. The Villages is a perfect fit for Pam as The Villages has over 100 miles of paved multi-modal paths and Pam would be able to easily and independently navigate her All Terrain Chair to access the many restaurants, theaters, recreation centers, grocery stores, town centers and more.
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You can see Pam's own video here: http://www.villagersforveterans.org/ Just click on her photo. After watching her video just hit your back button to return to this page to make your donation.
Please be assured that 100% of your donation will be used to acquire a home for Pam. Villagers for Veterans is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization and your contribution is 100% tax deductible. No donation is too small. Every contribution will help. Let’s make a difference in this deserving veteran’s life and give her an opportunity to become more independent.
U.S. Army veteran Pam Kelly served as the first response combat medic in her unit. In 2002 while training for deployment to Iraq, she was crushed by a load from a sling load operation that went very wrong. (Sling load is the process of transferring cargo by means of a long steel cable hung directly beneath a helicopter.)
Pam’s catastrophic injuries included a crushed spine, severe head injuries and torn shoulders. She lives with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and numerous other medical issues. This brave Army veteran is now a partial quadriplegic with only limited mobility in her left arm.
Despite her many injuries and with little support and no family, Pam immersed herself in adaptive sports – something that gave her a reason to push beyond her injuries. Sadly, her participation in adaptive sports would cause additional injuries to a body that had already endured so much.
In 2016, the Army vet was diagnosed with a shoulder tear and an elbow problem. She underwent surgery but due to complications, she was no longer able to participate in her beloved adaptive sports.
Pam now lives in Tampa, FL in a home that is not equipped to accommodate her many physical challenges. It’s impossible for her to leave her home unless she has assistance. Access to the world around her has become much more limited.
Villagers for Veterans, a well-respected nonprofit, wants to change that. They are raising funds to provide Pam with a SMART HOME that will cater to her physical challenges.
Many organizations build SMART HOMES for severely injured veterans. Unfortunately, Pam is not eligible because she was injured during a training exercise and not in direct combat. In addition, even though she has been classified by the VA as 100% disabled, she had only 17 years of active duty service and does not qualify to receive any retirement benefits from the Army.
This brave veteran has been fighting stateside battles for many years completely by herself. Once again, she has no family. Villagers for Veterans believes they can change that – with your help. Pam’s 17 years of active duty service to our country has earned her the right to own a home that is adapted to her needs – a home that will open new doors of independence.
The cost of the home is being driven by the requirements of the VA to make it totally accessible to a person with the many injuries Pam has suffered. We have located a VA approved contractor who has agreed to build a completely adapted home in accordance with all the proper VA standards, and to do it just for the cost of materials – his donation to this effort. We intend to build this home in The Villages, FL. The Villages is a perfect fit for Pam as The Villages has over 100 miles of paved multi-modal paths and Pam would be able to easily and independently navigate her All Terrain Chair to access the many restaurants, theaters, recreation centers, grocery stores, town centers and more.
o
You can see Pam's own video here: http://www.villagersforveterans.org/ Just click on her photo. After watching her video just hit your back button to return to this page to make your donation.
Please be assured that 100% of your donation will be used to acquire a home for Pam. Villagers for Veterans is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization and your contribution is 100% tax deductible. No donation is too small. Every contribution will help. Let’s make a difference in this deserving veteran’s life and give her an opportunity to become more independent.
Organizer
Lou Maruzo
Organizer
The Villages, FL
