A Special Forces team medic treats another U.S. Army soldier for wounds from a rocket-propelled grenade explosion while battling Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, April 2007. The soldier continued fighting minutes after he was treated. US Army photo.

TBI: This Era’s Signature Wound of War

By Sam Kille, Bob Woodruff Foundation

While deployed to Iraq in 2005, Army veteran Elana Duffy was traveling in a convoy when an improvised explosive device damaged her vehicle. She was temporarily knocked unconscious by the blast, yet having received no outward injuries, she soldiered on with her mission.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Elana Duffy was medically retired due to a TBI sustained in Iraq.

As time went on, Duffy experienced persistent headaches that became increasingly worse. She often felt as if the whole world was spinning. She eventually sought treatment, yet found herself being diagnosed with everything but the root cause of her ailment.

After two years of finding no answers, Duffy began to doubt her own sanity; however, a long-awaited MRI provided her vindication — she had sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Duffy is one of more than 370,000 post-9/11 service members and veterans who have been treated for TBI, according to the Department of Defense—making it the signature wound of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many believe the actual number of injuries is higher.

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and for nonprofits like the Bob Woodruff Foundation, promoting understanding of the hidden wounds of war–like TBI—is at the core of its mission. After all, its founding was inspired by ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff’s miraculous recovery following a roadside bomb blast while reporting from Iraq in 2006.

Bob Woodruff talks to neurosurgeon Dr. Gail Rosseau for his ABC News special, “To Iraq and Back,” following his own recovery from a TBI. Photo by Donna Svennevik.

Over the past 11 years, the foundation has funded several best-in-class programs that provide evidence-based treatment and resources for not only veterans, but also the caregivers that support them.

Among them is BrainLine, an online resource that provides a wealth of information on topics that include: treatment, symptom management, latest research, legal and finance issues, expert advice, personal stories, and a resource directory to help users find services and care providers near them.

The Bob Woodruff Foundation was also a founding partner of Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, whose mission is to heal the invisible wounds for veterans, service members and their families through world-class clinical care, wellness, education and research.

The signs and symptoms of concussion and post-traumatic stress overlap considerably. The graphic above shows the symptoms that can help discriminate between concussion and post-traumatic stress for patients who have only one or the other.

Beyond programs targeting care, many others supported by the Bob Woodruff Foundation are focused on improving the quality of life of those who’ve been injured.

For example, Team Red, White and Blue brings veterans and civilians together through physical and social activity. Among its members is Duffy. An avid mountain climber before her injury, she initially thought her TBI meant an end to her fondest hobby.

Yet today, she can often be found in a Brooklyn climbing gym, teaching others to push past their own fears or injuries.

“Finding new ways around my problems, and tackling new challenges, that’s what keeps me moving forward in my recovery,” said Duffy. “And its programs like the ones supported by the Bob Woodruff Foundation that seem to be making the biggest difference.”

Read more inspiring stories from veterans who refuse to be defined by their injuries:

Do I have TBI?

The Peak of Potential