JR speaks at PTSD/TBI conference and receives a Quilt of Valor

JR speaking at the conference

Last weekend, JR was one of the speakers at the FRONT LINE Educational Conference on PTSD/TBI. It was a great event with amazing speakers with both personal experience and educational information. JR, with clinician Kimberly Smith, updated the audience on his continuing treatment with Neurofeedback and how it is impacting his PTSD. It's so wonderful to see how far he has come to be able to share his war experience with a wide audience of people. My mom and I were beeming in the audience as he spoke. We also enjoyed seeing the other speakers, especially the presentation by Chris Allen and Denita Hartfield. Both had personal experiences to share and had a large impact on the audience. It's amazing how similar veterans stories can be, even when they have different experiences.

JR is presented with the quilt at the conference

JR was also presented with a beautiful quilt from the local Quilts of Valor chapter, run by the Cotton Patch Quilters of Kern County andThe Woman's Club of Bakersfield. Thanks to FRONT LINE co-founder Patrice Maniaci, the local chapter became aware of JR's veteran status and made him a beautiful red, white, and blue quilt with his name imprinted on it. To date, the Quilts of Valor Foundation has given away 26,125 quilts and we our honored to be included.

According to their website:

A Quilt of Valor is a wartime quilt made to honor our War Wounded. It is a tangible way to say: 'Thank you for your service, sacrifce and valor" for our country.'

JR's quilt

For more information about the Quilts of Valor Foundation, please visit QOVF.org.

JR also appeared on the local NBC affiliate KGET on the 11pm news regarding the conference. We are working on getting the video and will post it here.

~ Nicole

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 4/19/10