Coastal Authority Care Foundation, Inc

We all know or are related to someone who serves or has served in the US armed forces. At risk of stating the obvious, we live in the greatest country in the world and they put their lives on hold and leave their families behind to help keep it that way, and keep us safe so we can enjoy simple freedoms and pleasures that we often take for granted. As of July 2014, approximately 2.6 million American troops have served and fought in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But unfortunately, many of our troops are returning with injuries….some that are not so obvious.

The most prevalent injury: “PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) are two of the most prevalent injuries suffered by our warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, and identifying better treatments for those impacted is critical,” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson said. These injuries are the “invisible wounds of war” and the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reported total cases of TBI between 2000 and Q1 2016 to be 347,962. But many veterans are not diagnosed until months, even years after separating from service.

Some mTBI and PTSD facts:

What is TBI?: Traumatic brain injury is caused by a jarring of the head, possibly from a fall, explosion, repeated gunfire exposure, or a blow to the head. The jarring causes damage to brain tissue, blood vessels and cells that link areas of the brain, and the brain to the body. The damage can be mild or severe and the individual may or may not have lost consciousness. Some veterans recover, but others will suffer for months, years or possibly the rest of their lives.

Symptoms: Most cases of TBI in returning veterans are considered mild. However, the symptoms are not so mild. Symptoms include confusion, trouble holding thoughts, vertigo, difficulty sleeping, memory loss, headaches, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, mood swings, easily angered and frustrated, depression, and anxiety. One of the worst chronic symptoms is feeling they are going insane from lack of sleep, often reaching a point of despair.

Traditional treatment: According to the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, the VA recognizes that many veterans will not receive early diagnosis or will not seek treatment. And in individuals with chronic, persistent symptoms of TBI, "traditional medical interventions are less than successful". Tragically, some veterans with TBI have reached such a point of despair that they have taken their own lives. In 2013, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs released a study that covered suicides from 1999 to 2010, which showed that roughly 22 veterans were committing suicide per day, or one every 65 minutes.

Cutting-edge treatment and where your support is needed: A Department of Veterans Affairs news release dated September 19, 2012 announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense are investing more than $100 million in research to improve diagnosis and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. On August 31, 2012, President Obama signed an executive order to improve access to mental health services for veterans, service members and military families. As part of that executive order, Obama directed the DOD and HHS to conduct a comprehensive mental health study, with an emphasis on PTSD, TBI and related injuries to develop better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options. This research is ongoing and the issue veterans face is that insurance is not covering the newer, more effective treatments because they are considered ‘research” at this time. CACF wants to provide grants that will help veterans with service-related injuries obtain access to cutting-edge healthcare that is showing great results and providing relief of their symptoms right now, and restoring quality of life for them and their loved ones.

Where to send donations:
We are working to get our website up so that donations can be made online. If you would like to donate now, please mail a check or money order to:

Coastal Authority Care Foundation, Inc.
1340 N. Great Neck Rd,
Ste. 1272-362, Virginia Beach, VA 23454.

All donations are tax deductible.