"Rubber Soul: Iraq Veteran Turns to Running to Heal Brain Injury"

[Andrew A.]

http://www.truthout.org/rubber-soul-iraq-veteran-turns-running-heal-brain-injury58241

[r-at-work]

   Keller said he's tried to talk to a neurologist and another doctor, telling them that he didn't have as many mental and physical problems when he was running, but the doctors told him that there likely wasn't a relationship between his exercise and his feeling better.
Just recently, though, the VA published a report on the positive effects of exercise on mental health. The two studies mentioned in the report both appear in the Journal Archives of Neurology.
The two new studies have shown that doing moderate physical activity during midlife may guard against mild mental impairment. Mild cognitive impairment is a transition stage in cognitive decline that occurs with age and dementia, and it may affect regular thinking, learning, reasoning and judgment.

very touching story, especially the part about his records getting lost...hope it turns around for him

[Andrew A.]

Some interesting comments on there, too.  To me it is just asinine how the government can waste so much money with private contractors like Blackwater and Haliburton for empire building yet consistently can give vets the shaft like this, but that is digressing in a non-running direction.  I do wonder if there might be a way to get the contact information for this guy and possibly get forum visitors to chip in to send him a couple pair of the kind of running shoes he likes.

[Ed]

I like your idea Andrew - maybe the author of the Article can get us contact information. 

[Ryan]

I see his e-mail address has been made available in the comments. If there would be interest, I'd be willing to contact him this evening and get some information on his preferred model/size and we could pull together an online fundraiser to get him however many pairs we can raise money for.

[Ed]

I say we go for it!

[Ed]

Count me as one raised hand to help  - I can avoid spending some money on myself to help buy running shoes for a wounded Vet.
 
Come on everyone - a small donation from many of us will do so much good -
 
Let's pay it forward!

[Ryan]

I'll send out an e-mail this evening. If he's a willing recipient, then we'll see what we can raise for him. I'll post updates here as soon as I hear back from him.

[Ryan]

I head back from Eric Keller and discussed his response with Andrew and Ed.

The good news is that he and his family are doing much better. They are free of the debt caused by the medical expenses, they are caught up with their mortgage, and Runner's World beat us to the punch by already sending him a free pair of shoes. He wanted all of that to be out in the open and to express the point that he is not looking for handouts. However, he did state that, if we send him a pair of shoes, they would be put to good use.

Andrew, Ed, and I are still unanimous in the interest in getting him a pair of shoes. I am getting the necessary information right now. In the meantime, anyone who would like to make a donation toward a pair of shoes can do so. If we get enough donations for more than one pair of shoes, then we'll take things from there. If we don't get enough, I'll cover the difference.

He does not seem interested in making a big deal of this so I'm not going to start a new topic or make any flashy, attention-grabbing announcement of this, though I will post a note on the forum news.

If you would like to donate and have a PayPal account, you can send money to ryan @ hillrunner . com (obviously, remove the spaces) on PayPal. If you don't have a PayPal account, contact me. If there is the need, I can set up a page to take credit cards.

[grasshopper]

This is a great idea and I hope it gets a lot of support.  It is really refreshing to see a genuinely selfless and generous spirit represented like this. 

[Ryan]

I've been asked how to donate. I must have buried that information in my last post so here it is again, along with information on how we're going to do this:

To help in the purchase of shoes for Eric Keller:

If you have a PayPal account:

• Log into your PayPal account
• Click the Send Money tab on the top
• Enter ryan@hillrunner.com in the To field
• Enter the amount you want to donate
• Click the Personal tab and click Other
• Click Continue
• You can send an e-mail, in which you can specify that this is meant for Eric Keller. Otherwise, during this time, all money I receive through this method I will assume is for Eric
• Click Send Money and your donation will be made

If you do not have a PayPal account:
E-mail me or personal message me. If I need to accept credit cards, I can but I will have to pay a fee out of my pocket to do so. Otherwise, I can tell you where to send a check and I'll trust that you are good for what you promise.

How we will determine how many shoes to buy:
Essentially, my plan is to keep track of the total amount of money donated and to buy as many pairs of shoes as that money will allow plus one. So, if we raise enough money to cover part of the cost of one pair of shoes, I'll pick up the difference and buy one pair of shoes for Eric. If we raise enough money to fully cover the cost of one pair of shoes, then Eric will get two pairs. Unless the amount raised adds up to a ridiculous amount of shoes, that's how we will handle all of the money. Eric will be assured of at least one pair of shoes but I'm hoping you will make me chip in for a second or third pair.

Please make your donation soon. I would like to get the shoes ordered by early next week at the latest so please don't hesitate. As of this moment, I'm waiting to hear back from a retailer on the availability of the shoes in Eric's size at a great discount, which will allow our money to go farther for Eric. What I hear from them may dictate how quickly the donations need to be made but I'd say April 20th (a week from today) would likely be the latest.

[Ryan]

So far, we have $30 raised toward shoes for Eric. Come on people, make me spring for a second pair of shoes by paying for one pair in full! The order will be placed Tuesday evening so make your donations before then.

If paying through PayPal doesn't work for you, just let me know. We'll work out a way that you can join the Hillrunner.com community in helping Eric out.

[Ed]

Give up something small that you get daily for yourself - just for a couple of days.  This should be a small sacrifice that can really help someone out that loves running and deserves a bit of help.

[Ryan]

As Andrew alluded to and I followed up with on the Hillrunner.com Facebook page this morning, $5 or $10 isn't much money. Right now, I'm still working to find a better deal but we're looking at about $100. If 7 more people make a $10 donation or 14 more people make a $5 donation, you'll cover the cost of one pair of shoes in full. Do that and I'll pay for a second pair of shoes myself.

I don't want to lay down any guilt trip but I know we have the people here to get us up to $100 and make me cover the price of a second pair of shoes. I want to buy that second pair of shoes for Eric but I need you to cover the price of the first pair so I can do that.

If you can't pay through PayPal, just contact me and we can arrange for another form of payment. I already have one check I'm expecting to see in the mail any day now. If necessary, I can even accept a credit card payment.

[Ryan]

We're still at $30 for Eric. Are you going to try to make me get Eric a second pair of shoes? If so, I need you to start chipping in. The order is going to be placed tomorrow (Tuesday) evening.

Come on, I want you to make me buy a second pair!