TORONTO – A non-profit organization dedicated to helping Canadian Forces members wounded or injured in the line of duty will receive a record-breaking donation on Wednesday.
Wounded Warriors Canada will be presented with a donation of $131,616 from whisky distillery Glenfiddich, the largest single donation in the organization’s history.
Founded in 2006, Wounded Warriors developed a series of programs and services, focusing primarily on the mental health of wounded troops and reservists. While the organization focused in particular on the “staggering impact of post-traumatic stress disorder,” they aim to help all veterans needing help transitioning back to civilian life.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), PTSD – an anxiety disorder caused by psychologically traumatic events – can become so severe that individuals are unable to live a normal life.
People suffering from PTSD could suffer from a variety of symptoms, including recurring nightmares or flashbacks, emotional numbness, feelings of extreme guilt, insomnia and aggression.
In some cases, people with PTSD may develop drug and alcohol dependencies.
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The origins of the organization date back to September 2006 in Afghanistan. Four Canadian soldiers and an unknown number of civilians were killed when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb near Kandahar City.
Another three Canadian soldiers were wounded in the attack, including 20-year-old Mike McTeague.
McTeague and the other injured soldiers received medical care in a hospital in Germany. McTeague wasn’t expected to survive. His family travelled to Germany, along with an Assisting Officer, Captain Wayne Johnston. While in Germany, Johnston was moved by the dedication of the hospital staff and young soldiers fighting to recover from their injuries.
That’s where the idea for the Wounded Warriors Canada fund began, with the goal of helping soldiers, families and front-line medical staff throughout the healing process.
Today the organization’s programs include a veterans transition program, Wounded Warriors Weekends for injured soldiers, and scholarships in military and veterans’ mental health research.
Watch the video below: Wounded Warriors retreat
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