“The VFW provides a hand up to veterans in need. No one wants to be in the place where they have to ask for help, and being prideful at times, I can assure you that I did not. But to have an organization help me when I was at my lowest because of the service and sacrifices I made for my country … it helped me not feel so alone.”
Pictured above, veteran David White with wife, Emily, and their children, Bailey (7) and Logan (3).
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David E. White III, 32, of Dover, Del., served 9 years, 8 months in the U.S. Army. He deployed three times to Iraq and on one special assignment to Afghanistan.
He incurred various injuries during his time serving in Iraq, including a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), PTSD, Narcolepsy, Tinnitus, and a back injury.
He recently entered a PTSD inpatient treatment program at the Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, after he lost employment due to his Narcolepsy and PTSD-related symptoms.
David’s wife, Emily, said, “We had previously begun a re-rating process, as David hadn’t received a VA rating for his TBI or PTSD. At a 40% rating, David wasn’t eligible for the temporary 100% disability other veterans receive when they are in the hospital.”
Having been in the hospital for almost three months, this placed great financial strain on the family.
Fortunately, they heard about the VFW’s Unmet Needs program from another veterans’ service organization.
“The grant paid a month’s rent and for new tires on our family car,” David said.
“The support has meant my wife could continue getting to work and providing for the family while I was not capable of doing so. We were able to put less money on credit cards – this truly helped us stay afloat.”
Learn more about the VFW’s Unmet Needs program.