Laptops for soldiers
Politics aside, the war is a military engagement that involves troops made up of individuals, many with problems that can be solved.
Laura Brown, a mother with a son who fought in the Iraq war, is trying to improve conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center – one laptop computer at a time.
The 50-year-old from Cody, Wyo., was chatting on the Internet with the mother of a wounded soldier two years ago when the mother mentioned she had to print out her son’s e-mails and take them to him at Walter Reed because there weren’t enough laptop computers to go around.
Brown, whose own son had recently returned safely from the war, thought the solution to that problem seemed incredibly easy.
“It just kind of hit me,” she said. “If one person needed one, then there’s others. … I mean, my son had e-mail in Iraq. I was really stunned.”
So Brown formed a group, Laptops for the Wounded, to raise money for the cause.
That’s so practical. And it’s one need that can be addressed, among many.
“She basically just made it her mission,” said Lisa Ramdass, a case manager at the hospital who has been working with Brown to coordinate the donations.
Ramdass said the laptops are used for more than e-mail. One soldier who worked with a donated laptop couldn’t speak, and was able to communicate with his family and his doctors by typing on the computer. Others who have eye injuries use the laptops to watch movies or television up close.
Imagine that. Something most of us take for granted can be such a huge benefit for others. It’s seeing the obvious, and then following up on what you see.
Brown said she can relate with the loneliness and isolation of the wounded because she is also disabled, having suffered knee and back injuries in recent years. She is also inspired by her son, who lost his young wife to illness just weeks after they were married several years ago.
Wyoming Rep. Barbara Cubin said Brown’s efforts show the difference one person can make.
“Out of the goodness of her heart, she’s turned a few small donations into a national campaign,” she said.
If you want to help, you can find out more at Laptops for the Wounded.
