Monthly Archives: April 2015

Charitable video raffle program funds innovative brain injury therapy for Ohio veteran

 

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy shows promising results

Columbus, Ohio (April 9, 2015) – Jeremy Lanham served two tours in Iraq with the United States Army.  During that time he was exposed to several large explosions, receiving multiple concussions and suffering injuries to his brain.  The injuries went untreated and as a result, Jeremy suffered extreme migraine headaches and was unable to sleep for years.

 

Jeremy became aware of Sara’s Garden, a facility in Wauseon Ohio that provides Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).   HBOT is the administration of 100% oxygen in the presence of pressure, which can help the body heal from conditions in which low oxygen in the tissues inhibits or complicates the healing process.

 

Jeremy was excited to try the therapy and hopefully find relief from severe migraines and sleeplessness, but traditional health care would not pay for the treatments.

 

Jeremy’s situation was shared with the VFW of Ohio Charities, which agreed to pay for his treatments on an experimental basis.  “When we heard about Jeremy’s struggles to live a normal life due to his war injuries, we were eager to fund his treatments and determine if this could help him, and if it might be an option for other veterans who are suffering similar symptoms,” said Bill Seagraves, Director of VFW of Ohio Charities.

 

Jeremy’s treatments have been funded with revenue generated by the Ohio Veteran and Fraternal Charitable Coalition (OVFCC) charitable video raffle program.  Since its inception, the video raffle program has raised over $13 million to support posts, lodges and charitable causes like Jeremy’s treatments.  The funds are split evenly between the organizations and the local charitable causes they support, much of which helps veterans and their families who need a helping hand.

 

 

Jeremy received an intensive regimen of two one-hour treatments per day for eight weeks.  Since his treatments began, Jeremy has experienced no severe headaches and has regained the ability to sleep soundly for extended periods of time.  “I haven’t had that in years and years, and it’s had a massive impact on my ability to function every day,” says Jeremy.

 

Jeremy is excited not only about his own improvement, but also what this could mean for other suffering veterans if they had access to this type of therapy.  “Hopefully we could dramatically minimize the twenty-two veteran suicides that we are currently seeing every day.”

 

After further evaluation of Jeremy’s results, Seagraves says VFW of Ohio Charities will consider an ongoing partnership with Sarah’s Garden to treat many more veterans with brain injuries.

April 9th, 2015