The Independence Fund Pillars of Support

Since 9/11, more than 50,000 service members have been wounded fighting the Global War on Terror. When factoring in serious non-hostile injuries and training mishaps, that number more than doubles. When further factoring in the number of Veterans who forestall treatment for their injuries until leaving the combat zone, that number may yet double again.

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For many of the severely injured personnel the system has served them well. In particular, amputees and burn victims receive the best care and rehab for these type injuries in the world via the Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Administration (VA) Healthcare systems. But in the current conflict a unique class of survivor has emerged. This group is comprised of men and women who, because of the phenomenal advances in battlefield medicine, are kept alive with wounds that in previous conflicts would have been non-survivable. Often times, the damage inflicted is multi-faceted and to an extent in which full recovery is not feasible.  These are the “ultra” severely injured that the Independence Fund has been assisting through its “Three Pillars of Support.”​

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​Pillar One: To provide the necessary tools and therapies which are not otherwise being provided.​



One of the most visible tools the Independence Fund has provided severely injured Veterans is the iBOT® wheelchair. The iBOT® retailed for $25,000. The fund provided twenty of the devices to veterans before Johnson and Johnson, the iBOT®’s parent corporation, ceased production due to lack of sales. (Please take two minutes to read and sign our iBOT® petition to congress).



​The fund’s 10th iBOT® recipient, Ryan Major, is an example of a Veteran who had some of his independence restored through the funds work.  Ryan was severely injured while on foot patrol in Ramadi, Iraq when an improvised bomb exploded near his position. His injuries include bilateral above the knee amputation, amputation of numerous fingers, vascular  muscular damage to both arms and a Traumatic Brain Injury. The 22-year-old soldier spent two years rehabilitating from his wounds in Washington, D.C. and  receives rehabilitation for his Brain injury at the National Rehab Hospital (NRH) on an ongoing basis. He has made enormous progress, but the loss of mobility was one of the greatest challenges for this young hero.  Additionally, the fund was instrumental in securing a service dog for Ryan as well.  A constant companion, the dog has become a source of emotional support for Ryan.



Other tools include adaptive sports equipment; specialized hand-crank bicycles, and adapted scuba gear that enhance the Veteran’s physical well being and enables them to participate in some of the regular physical activities that they previously engaged in are other examples of IF initiatives. The Independence Fund has also assisted Veterans in obtaining proven alternative therapies for their injuries that are unique to this war that are not currently not available within the DoD/VA Healthcare system. The Constraint Induced Therapy (CIT) program at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the Shepherd Center for Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Rehab in Atlanta are two where we have assisted. Currently, the Independence Fund is advocating on behalf of several other severely injured Veterans to get them enrolled in other top-rated rehab facilities that have not had severely injured Veterans in their program to date.

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​Pillar Two:  To fund and promote physical and leisure/athletic activities that enhance the veteran’s physical and emotional well-being

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It’s not uncommon to hear a seriously injured Veteran, who may at one-time have suffered from severe post-injury depression, say “sports saved my life.” Many of the seriously injured Veterans were vibrant, physically active individuals prior to injury who suddenly had this taken away from them. The emotional effects can be debilitating. The Independence Fund recognizes that through participation in the right events, much of the pre-injury zest for life that the Veteran had can be restored.  Examples of events that Independence Fund veterans have participated in and benefited from include the DVA Winter Sports Clinic in Aspen Colorado, and the World Team Sports, 110-mile bicycle rally from Gettysburg to Washington D.C. In December, 2007, the Schlumberger Cycling Club in Houston Texas sponsored the first annual “Independence Ride” which raised nearly $60,000 for our supported Veterans. The second and third, fourth, and fifth annual Wallis Rides have been equally successful.​

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Art therapy is viewed equally as important by the Independence Fund. Board member and curator of the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum, (www.NVVAM.org) Jerry Kykisz compiled “Conflict Zone” which debuted in Chicago in May, 2011. The exhibit features the artworks of the worlds leading combat journalists and is intended to inspire Veterans to chose art as a healthy vehicle or outlet for expression. If nothing else, because of the prevalence of digital imagery, both Iraq and Afghanistan are the two most visually documented conflicts in history and some of the imagery returning home with our journalists and Veterans is stunning both in terms of its quality and its intensity.​



Pillar Three: Advocacy and Case Management



A severely injured service member may transit as many as six different treatment facilities as part of their care. While the proper medical care, when available, is generally excellent, there exists great disparity in the level of comprehensive care from facility to facility. Often times the veteran is handed off to an over-worked case worker who may be completely unfamiliar of the array of benefits available to the Veteran through the VA, DoD, or other non-profit systems.



It has been the experience of the Independence Fund founders that the best and most knowledgeable persons regarding healthcare options, pay, and other benefits are servicemembers or family members of servicemembers who have themselves been through and navigated the labyrinth of bureaucracy associated with piecing damaged lives back together.  These family members are the core strength that the Independence Fund draws upon. Our case managers have many years of experience assisting severely injured Veterans and their families working with the Department of Defense.  We have a network of family advocates across the country who provide advice, guidance, and the aforementioned types of support to qualifying servicemembers in need.

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We at the Independence Fund view this as our true strength and the salient factor which sets us apart from the myriad of other non-governmental organizations established to support the wounded. To build this network and carry out the Three Pillars of the Independence Fund mission, we humbly request your support. Any assistance you can provide will be deeply appreciated.