In An Instant

With war come consequences. Sadly, some of the people serving overseas become injured. Some injuries are small and some are large. Rarely does the news report about the injured troops. Yet on January 29, 2006, ABC new anchor Bob Woodruff became seriously injured. While in Iraq he was injured from an explosion by an improvised explosive device (IED).

This event changed his life forever. Half of his skull was missing along with other injuries. Because Bob was in US military territory, he received the necessary surgeries that would later save his life. His wife, Lee Woodruff, admitted on Oprah if the injury had occurred in the States he would have died because most surgeons are not exposed to sever traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Thanks to the military, Bob would live. Though this experience was traumatic for the family, Lee expressed to Oprah some of the positive things that came from the experience. “I think something positive has happened" out of the injury, she told Oprah, which was a chance "to meet other soldiers and marines who had gone through this. That's very very important. I think even journalists have not told enough stories about those that have survived this...You've got a new kind of war [and soldiers] coming back have something called traumatic brain injuries. There have been some studies that show that up to ten percent of those who return from the war actually have TBI."

After Bob’s successful recovery, Bob and Lee wrote a book called, In An Instant, and has also set up a foundation for the soldiers affected by TBI. They used this devastating event to help create awareness to America about soldiers who are also affected by TBI. They explained even though they were lucky to receive support from the greater community, many soldiers are not so fortunate.

What amazes me is how generous the Woodruff family is. Bob is a wonderful advocator for creating positive awareness about the military. His story is greatly known, and there are soldiers in his situation that do not receive the same amount of attention. It is nice to see Bob and Lee working for the greater good to benefit people serving in the military. I love how they used their book as a vehicle to share their message, and to reach out to people that wouldn’t normally take time to realize how many soldiers experience TBIs. As a result of their book and foundation, more people have supported the injured soldiers. For once the military is getting the positive recognition they deserve. Thank you Bob and Lee Woodruff.


The Troop's Advocator