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Dear Friend,

 

They come home with invisible wounds. And too many never get the
chance to heal.

 

Every single day in America, we lose an average of 17 veterans to
suicide. THAT’S ONE EVERY 84 MINUTES. Think about that. While
you’re reading this email, someone who once wore the uniform may be
feeling like there’s no way out.

 

THIS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, I’M ASKING YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO
HELP US SAVE THE LIVES OF OUR VETERANS—NOT TOMORROW, NOT
“SOMEDAY,” BUT _RIGHT NOW_.
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At SoldierStrong, we’re working to tackle this crisis head-on by
providing real, effective help to veterans suffering from
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

 

And one of the most powerful tools we have is BraveMind, our
revolutionary virtual reality (VR) therapy program, developed by the
University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative
Technologies. 

 

You may be familiar with traditional talk therapy, but BraveMind is
different. It’s immersive, high-tech exposure therapy that meets
veterans where they are—bringing the battlefield to the therapy room
in a controlled, supportive environment where healing can finally
begin.

 

Because the truth is: for veterans with PTSD, the war doesn’t end
when they come home.

 

It follows them into civilian life. It shows up in grocery store
aisles, on quiet roads, or in the middle of the night. A bag of trash
by the roadside might spark the memory of an IED. Driving under a
bridge could bring back the image of a sniper. A child’s voice might
recall a loss too deep to express.

 

These moments don’t just cause emotional pain. They isolate veterans
from their families, their communities, and even from themselves. Some
withdraw. Others lash out. Many try to numb the pain with substances.
And tragically, some see no way out at all.

 

That’s why BraveMind is so critical. It allows veterans to face
their trauma head-on, in an environment designed to be safe,
controlled, and personalized.

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A trained mental health professional can use the VR headset to immerse
the veteran in a realistic version of the moment they’ve spent years
avoiding—complete with the sights, sounds, and even smells of that
environment.

 

It’s not easy. But this kind of exposure therapy has been proven to
help reduce PTSD symptoms, break through avoidance, and restore
control to those who’ve lost it.

 

As Dr. Albert Rizzo, the director of medical virtual reality at
USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, put it:

 

_“YOU’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE NEXT SHOE TO DROP. THAT MIGHT HAVE
BEEN A SURVIVAL SKILL IN COMBAT, BUT IT DOESN’T WORK SO WELL IN
CIVILIAN LIFE.”_

 

I’ve heard these stories firsthand. Veterans who walk around angry
all the time. Who can’t sleep. Who’ve never spoken to _anyone_
about what they’ve seen—until BraveMind helped them open up.
Because this technology makes it possible to go _back_ to the moment
that shattered them—and begin to reclaim their life from it.

 

Marine veteran Chris Merkle is one of those heroes.

 

Chris served three years in Iraq and nearly four years in Afghanistan.
After he came home, he struggled with PTSD—just like so many others.
But when he tried BraveMind, something changed.

 

_“YOU CAN FEEL IT IN YOUR BODY WHEN YOU TALK,”_ Chris said.
_“YOU JUST FEEL SO TENSE. YOU DON’T GET THAT UNLESS YOU’RE IN A
REALLY DEEP THERAPY SESSION… THE VR HANDED ME MY EXPERIENCE.”_

 

For the first time, Chris had control over his trauma. He could face
it. Talk through it. And little by little, that memory lost its grip
on him. BraveMind helped give him his life back—and his story is
just one of many.

 

We want to bring this same opportunity to every veteran who needs it.
That’s why we’ve partnered with the VA Innovation Center to expand
BraveMind therapy nationwide. But there are still thousands of
veterans waiting—and we can’t reach them without your help.

 

HERE’S HOW YOUR DONATION MAKES A DIRECT IMPACT:
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* $100 covers 1 hour of VR therapy.

* $500 trains a clinician to deliver BraveMind treatment.

* $1,500 funds a full month of personalized therapy.

* $15,000 installs a complete BraveMind VR system at a new clinic.

These aren’t abstract numbers. Every dollar brings us closer to
saving a life. Every session could be the moment that a veteran opens
up for the first time. Every new clinic means more veterans in crisis
can get the help they’ve been denied for too long.

 

And even if you can’t give a lot today, no gift is too small—every
contribution brings us one step closer to saving a life.

 

As the founder of SoldierStrong, I can tell you this work is deeply
personal to me. I started this organization to make sure no veteran
ever feels left behind. BraveMind is just one of the ways we’re
making that mission real—by offering hope, healing, and a future to
those who’ve already given so much.

 

Mental Health Awareness Month is a time for action. Not silence. Not
waiting. _Action._

 

THE COST OF DOING NOTHING IS 17 VETERANS GONE EACH DAY.

 

But together, we can make sure those numbers start to fall. We can
give our veterans the tools they need to fight—and win—the hardest
battle of all: the one inside.

 

PLEASE, MAKE YOUR MOST GENEROUS GIFT TODAY, AND HELP SAVE A
VETERAN’S LIFE.
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With deep gratitude,

Dr. Chris Meek
Founder, SoldierStrong

DONATE NOW
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© Copyright SoldierStrong, 2024. All Rights Reserved | SoldierStrong
is a 501(c)3 Organization

 

 

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