What's going on at Defenders of Freedom?

Defenders of Freedom provides donors with the organization they need to support post 9/11 Veterans in their transition to civilian life through emergency financial assistance, morale building programs, and traumatic brain injury treatment.
Year End Wrap
What a challenging year 2020 has been. While so much has changed and uncertainty abounds we still have so much to be thankful for. I know I feel very fortunate with the support so many of you have given us, and held our mission as close to your heart as we have. I continue to be humbled by your partnerships and commitment to us. I am not surprised by it though. Our Troops and Veterans deserve the support we can lend them. When I started Defenders of Freedom it was because I believed that most people do support our Troops, many just don't know how to do it. I thought we could be an avenue to connect the community to our Troops. It has been very heart warming for me to see the generosity of so many over the years. We have changed many lives and saved quite a few. Thank you for partnering with us! We are doing great work!

We have shifted our focus to what we believe is the most neglected area for Post 9/11 Veterans; treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI is the signature wound of the wars from Afghanistan and Iraq, yet little is being done to treat the brain. We believe it is one of the biggest contributors to the suicide rate among Post 9/11 combat Veterans. According to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, TBI is a significant health issue which affects service members and veterans during times of both peace and war. It is estimated to have affected 400,000 service members since 2000.

In 2020 here is how you made a difference:
$344,342.19 - 47 changed lives through brain treatment
$33,740.40 in emergency financial assistance
$30, 883.79 in morale support

All the lives we touched this year have been impacted by your generosity!
The Problem

  



















I was visiting a friend's home this summer and while he was giving me a tour we came into his bathroom and this is what I saw.  I was shocked. This is what the VA has prescribed for him.  I have heard many times about the large amount of meds Veterans are on but I have never seen it.  I did get permission from him to share these.  A couple of them he will need to stay on because of issues not affected by his brain injury.  He has gone through our brain treatment and is no longer on all of these.  

One of the challenges we are seeing is the VA is not diagnosing brain injuries.  They are lumping it in with Post Traumatic Stress and prescribing medications.  While they have some of the same symptoms, they are two very different injuries, and need to be treated differently.  Many Veterans do not want to be on all that medication so they don't take it and self medicate, which leads other issues.

Our Solution

The brain treatment we are sending Veterans through is changing their lives in just two short weeks. Functional Neurology gets to the root of the injury and helps remap the brain, improving many areas.  We have partnered with Synapse Human Performance Center in Dallas, Texas for this cutting edge diagnostics and treatment.

 While eye therapy looks very simple...following the sticker, it can be very exhausting in a short time.
TMS is proving to be the crown jewel for depression, anxiety and stress.  We are seeing dramatic reduction in these scores.
In two short weeks we are seeing remarkable improvements:
98% of patients report improvement in sleep 41% decrease in depression scores
60% increase in cognitive abilities
38% increase in memory
78% increase in processing speed
68% increase in attention
Golf 2021 Save the Date
Mark you calendars for May 17, 2021 for our 16th annual golf outing.  We will be returning to a 2 course event at The Tribute and Old American Golf courses in The Colony, TX.  Details coming soon!
Christmas Shop with AmazonSmile 

An easy way to support Defenders of Freedom is when you shop AmazonSmile be sure to designate Defenders of Freedom as your charity and Amazon will make a donation to Defenders of Freedom.  AmazonSmile Link
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