March 2022 Newsletter

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By Dr. Chrisanne Gordon and Andrew Martinez-Young

Resurrecting Lives Foundation Salutes all our veterans - and extends greetings to family and friends of RLF family. As many of you know, March is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness month. In 2022 we are focusing on two devastating consequences of untreated/undertreated Traumatic Brain Injuries: homelessness and suicide. These issues are difficult to discuss - It is easier to ignore them, but we all pay the price in human lives every time we fail to address the needs of those who sustained brain injuries in the service to our nation.

Currently, there are over 750,000 veterans from the Global War on Terror (GWOT) who are struggling with TBI as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD. Since only about 30% of veterans from GWOT utilize the VA for any reason, the numbers of untreated and undertreated TBI/PTSD are staggering. It is estimated that fewer than 10% of our veterans complete a VA program designed to assist with this signature wound of Traumatic Brain Injury.

The results of TBI are devastating and include substance abuse, unemployment, homelessness, and all too often, suicide. In fact, the numbers of veterans who have taken their lives is 4 times greater than the number of military members who have died in Irag and Afahanistan. 4 X greater! That should be a red flag for all of us - military members, veterans, legislators, employers, teachers, health care workers. We all need to be vigilant to know the signs of TBl and to offer assistance and collaboration to services for those who are unable to navigate the civilian world or the VA health care systems. Both systems are complex for a person strugaling

with brain health issues.

At Resurrecting Lives Foundation, we have been able to assist veterans from 29 states to collaborative health care services. It is a tedious process, and awareness is KEY - Every community needs to be vigilant and partake in healing efforts for those who volunteered their lives for us. Whether it be to provide transportation or assistance with medical paperwork, please remember that our veterans have never dealt with a health care system and are very thankful for any guidance we can give them.

We are honored to have recently engaged with an extraordinary artist, US Navy Chief, Joe Pisano, residing in San Diego. Chief Pisano has created many works, which he describes as "3D Industrial Art" - utilizing dry wall screws as his primary medium for teaching us all about honor and sacrifice of our military members and veterans. Pisano reminds us that for some of our transitioning veterans, the struggle at home is another hurdle on the way to healing. 

We were blessed to have Chief Pisano join us aboard the USS Midway at our Brainstorms private screening November 14th. There he displayed and explained two of his prized pieces: Invisibilia and Operation Zero, dealing with homelessness and suicide respectively. These pieces were created to open dialogues about the many comorbidities associated with military service, and specifically traumatic brain injuries. As the Chief knows, ignoring the issues will not improve our veterans' plight in the civilian world.

Pisano stated, "These art pieces are created to stimulate dialogue which, in turn, will stimulate action, since, without action, dialogue is MUTE."

There are also hand-made street signs incorporated into the piece that have been donated by homeless veterans. These Veteran signs come from Veterans living on the streets of San Diego to authenticate the piece and serve as their VOICE. The second Piece, OPERATION ZERO, was inspired from a logo that Chief Pisano saw visiting a local Veteran Motorcycle Club. OPERATION ZERO is a call to action to bring the number of Veterans/Service members who die by their own hands to ZERO per day from the currently advertised 22 per day. An authentic STOP sign with a kneeling service member's silhouette clutching a set of Dog Tags sends a powerful message. 

This Piece features nearly 2200 drywall screws with 22 Eternal Lights around the frame. Twenty-two yet again reminding us of a grim statistic. When presenting this display to onlookers, Chief Pisano is vigilant to 'remember the Fallen', since the war on suicide is our Nation's most challenging issue. Currently, six Eternal Lights have been dedicated to families that have lost their loved one to suicide. It is a compelling piece and one that our Foundation has adopted for our suicide prevention initiative this year - Our Goal, synchronized with PIANO Artistry, is to drastically decrease the rate of 22 suicides per day in the year 2022.

Please keep watching our website throughout the Month of March, and throughout 2022 to find ways you, too, can become involved in this noble cause of allowing those who have served us; who have allowed us our future of freedom, to also enjoy and thrive in a future after

military service.

By Andrew Martinez-Young

On March 20th at 8PM EST, the collective of comedians that Dr. Gordon has used to aide in TBI treatment will be hosting another show online for free. The show will be hosted by Andrew Young (Drew Martinez-Young), Featured by TBI Survivor, Robb Will, and Headlined by Longhorn The Comedian. Dr. Gordon will give remarks with Andrew at the beginning of the show, and then we will roll into the main event: Humor For Healing.

Again, the event is free, and we will have links for donations to help in our cause of taking our

comedy show to Anchorage, Alaska to provide entertainment and support to the veterans and

troops who are currently facing escalated issues with suicide. To receive a link to the show, email

info@resurrectinglives.org.It will be live streamed on Facebook from the Resurrecting Lives Foundation page, and The Warrior Workout Network Page. The zoom link is limited to ninety people, so sign up before it's too late. We are excited to present another night of healing, laughter and good will to those who need it the most.