Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) announced April 11, 2016, its new partnership with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation (Reeve Foundation). The organizations will work together to provide both veterans and non-veterans living with paralysis with the best and most current resources available that help educate and raise awareness of specialized care and needs.
“Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation are driven by a common cause: to make the world a better place for persons with spinal cord injury,” said Sherman Gillums, Jr., acting executive director of Paralyzed Veterans. “This new partnership will allow us to build on our respective successes in spinal cord injury research, education, and awareness by unifying our efforts and expanding our impact to those we could not reach as separate entities. Christopher Reeve shared the same sense of fierce pride and self-determination as those paralyzed World War II veterans who started our organization, and we will carry forward their vision.”
Through its partnership, the groups will strengthen outreach efforts to individuals living with paralysis or spinal cord injury by sharing information and pooling resources. These efforts will include a shared presence on both of the organizations’ websites and social media platforms, as well as with individual supporters and members.
Paralyzed Veterans will also work with the Reeve Foundation during its annual Paralyzed Veterans of America Awareness Month in April to promote the challenges individuals with spinal cord injury face, while highlighting the programs and resources available to them.
“The Reeve Foundation’s Military and Veteran’s Program is designed to enhance the quality of life for all military service members living with paralysis, regardless of when they served, or how they sustained their injury,” said Maggie Goldberg, Vice President, Policy and Programs, Reeve Foundation. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with Paralyzed Veterans to ultimately improve the health and independence of our shared community.”