The National Association For Continence (NAFC), with targeted donations from the public, will support and educate our nation's injured veterans, about management and treatment options, through its educational materials about intermittent self-catheterization and continence care following spinal cord injuries.
After an individual makes a donation to the "Operation Continence Care" fund, NAFC will distribute its "Urinary Catheterization of Men and Women" pamphlet and their "Continence Care for People Living With Spinal Cord Injury" booklet, authored by Todd Linsenmeyer, MD, to the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital in the donor's area or a VA Hospital of the donor's choice. There are 24 Spinal Cord Injury Centers housed in the Veterans Administration that serve over 25,000 veterans annually with spinal cord injury. These publications are beneficial to spinal cord injury victims, amputees and sufferers of brain injuries. Donations can be made on NAFC's website or by contacting NAFC by phone at 1-800-BLADDER or by e-mail.
Donors to "Operation Continence Care" will be acknowledged on NAFC's Virtual Wall of Support, where a letter of appreciation from U.S. Central Command commander, General David Petraeus, can be read. Anonymous donations are accepted.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, "of the more than 250,000 Americans with serious spinal cord injuries and disorders, about 42,000 are veterans eligible for medical care and other benefits from the VA" and "each year, approximately 450 newly injured veterans and active-duty members receive rehabilitation" at their spinal cord injury centers. Many of these individuals were injured during military service.