WHO WE HELP
Imagine living in a world where it’s a challenge to get out of bed each morning, to clean your teeth or take a shower.
Imagine struggling to find and keep a job that makes the most of your skills, knowledge and experience.
Imagine finding it hard to ride a bike, go hiking, or play with your kids.
This is the reality for too many Veterans of the United States Armed Forces – those who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom. They return home from battle – but the battle has only just begun.
QL+ engineers prostheses and other assistive devices to improve the quality of life of our nation’s wounded warriors. Scroll down to read about the types of injuries that QL+ innovations can address; then make a donation and make a difference!
The most prevalent service-connected disabilities for Veterans receiving compensations at the end of fiscal year 2010 (Department of Veteran Affairs) are:
Amputation – removal of one or more limbs as a result of disease or trauma, including combat injuries (most commonly as a result of IED detonation).
- Upper Body – These amputations include removal of fingers, hand and/or wrist, forearm, above the elbow and shoulder disarticulation (removal of the entire arm).
- Lower Body – These amputations include foot, below or above the knee and hip disarticulation (removal of the entire leg).
- Bilateral – A bilateral amputation is one where both limbs have been removed i.e. both arms or both legs.
- Unilateral – A unilateral amputation means that one limb has been removed.
Hearing Loss – reduction or loss of the sense of hearing. For Veterans, this can be caused by exposure to sudden loud explosions, sustained exposure to ammunition firing, or other combat conditions.
Knee impairment – knee injuries that limit range of motion, cause chronic pain, or require surgery and/or physiotherapy. The most common causes of this for Veterans are impact (for example, parachute landings), excessive weight bearing (carrying heavy backpacks), or sustained general overuse.
Lumbosacral or cervical strain – one of the most common musculosketetal problems, this injury is frequently called whiplash and is caused by the sudden acceleration-deceleration of a vehicle e.g. swerving or stopping to avoid a roadside ambush in a combat situation.
Paraplegia – paralysis of the lower half of the body, affecting both legs. Paraplegia may be due to heredity, disease, or injury to the spinal cord in the lower thoracic, lumbar or sacral regions. Common combat examples of spinal cord trauma include being shot, vehicle collisions, or diving or parachuting accidents.
- Complete paraplegia – the individual experiences a total loss of feeling and function from the site of the injury down, including complete loss of leg function.
- Partial paraplegia – the individual retains some feeling and/or function of the legs and may be able to use crutches or other walking devices to walk short distances.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - also called delayed-stress disorder, delayed-stress syndrome, or post-traumatic stress syndrome, PTSD is a serious psychological reaction that occurs following a highly stressful event such as combat. It is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks (anything – smells, sounds, people, places – can trigger sudden memories of the trauma), hyper-vigilance (being constantly on the alert for threats, even in normal everyday situations like retail outlets), recurrent nightmares, and avoidance (especially of triggers known to cause reminders of the event). Left untreated, PTSD can lead to exhaustion, alienation from family and friends, loos of employment, demotivation, poor physical health, drug and alcohol abuse, and even suicide.
Quadriplegia - formerly known as tetraplegia, this is paralysis of all four limbs as a result of traumatic damage to the spinal cord in the cervical or upper thoracic regions. The precise location of the injury on the spinal cord, plus the severity of the injury, determines the level of loss of movement and sensation. Combat situations that can cause quadriplegia include airplane crashes, vehicle collisions, IEDs, parachuting and diving accidents. Quadriplegics suffer muscle atrophy (the muscles waste away from lack of use) and skin fragility issues such as decubitis sores (more commonly known as pressure or bed sores). They are also at increased risk of infection, and heat or cold injury as they can no longer feel heat or cold.
- Complete quadraplegia – total loss of function of all four limbs, plus complete loss of sensation below the site of the injury. The individual will require assistance with breathing and bowel and bladder function, as well as all daily activities and mobility, for the rest of their lives.
- Incomplete quadriplegia – some function and/or sensation remains, such as the use of one arm.
Tinnitus - a sensation of noise (like a ringing or roaring) that can only be heard by the affected person. This condition is often experienced temporarily or permanently by service members exposed to loud explosions or prolonged loud noises such as ammunition firing, plane noise, etc.
Vision loss – Partial or complete loss of sight due to disease or injury. Veterans may experience vision loss or impairment as a result of infection on the battlefield, foreign bodies in the eye causing abrasion or damage (sand, glass, or shrapnel) or physical injury.