America's finest heroes who have suffered the most devastating injuries are in desperate need of our assistance. After sustaining serious injuries in combat that shatter both body and mind, these heroes may receive excellent initial medical care, but once they leave the hospital no one is there to help them recover their lives.
Last year, Army Staff Sgt. Maurice Craft lost his left leg to a bomb that exploded while he was on patrol in Iraq. Months later, receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, he was fitted with a prosthetic leg. While this father of two stated that his first steps "felt so good," he also realizes that this is only the beginning to a very different life. "It's a real challenge," stated Craft. "I don't know how much I can take. Sometimes I just lay in my bed and cry." (quoted at http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4478134/)
According to the Amputee Coalition of America, there are more than one million people in the U.S. who had suffered some sort of amputation. Many of these are among America's finest heroes - military personnel and others. Every day in Iraq alone, it is estimated that two or three soldiers suffer the loss of a limb in the line of duty while serving their country.
Like Craft, they may receive excellent front line medical care. But what happens to them after they leave the hospitals? Too often, once these walking wounded return home, they are faced with ongoing medical and mental health issues. Further, their education and career dreams are shattered as well. The most severe challenges these heroes and their families face come as they try to recover their lives - often, tragically, with no additional support.
Who will help these heroes and their families restore lost dreams due to lost limbs or other debilitating trauma? Every American has a responsibility to give back to these heroes.
OurFinest.org is a non-profit organization with the sole mission to help address this gap in caring for our country's finest heroes. Our motto is "Get Your Dream!" Founded by education entrepreneur, Michael Clifford, the organization will provide special college scholarships and job placement in leading American corporations for these heroes. The organization will also offer mental health guidance and support to the families.
Says Clifford, "Our goal is to visit the bedsides of these amputees, talk to them about their dreams, and then help them achieve those goals. We want to provide everything that they and their families will need to be successful and live stable, productive lives."
Clifford has already pledged the resources of his school, Grand Canyon University (www.gcu.edu) and is seeking other institutions to participate by providing all-expense paid degree programs to these heroes.
"We are challenging our nation's corporations and business leaders to provide funding for the program, as well as provide career opportunities," says Clifford. "We are also approaching several Senators to help us obtain a faith-based grant for our program. All American's are urged to give, to donate of their time, money, energy, and personal as well as corporate resources in faith to help other in need in our country since our government can't do it all."
"We want to provide opportunity and support for every American public servant who dreamed of going to college and having a fulfilling career, yet who saw their dream shattered by an injury suffered while serving their country. We will help create rich lives for these, our finest heroes, working and living with dignity and pride with their families."
Clifford is partnering with a private company which, he says, "enjoys as its only exclusive members all sitting CEOs of the Fortune 100" to provide jobs. He also expects to have more than 200 schools participating. Clifford will be launching a media campaign later this summer to spread the message of OurFinest.org