Summary: Mike Day served over twenty-one years on the SEAL Teams, leading his men into battle. On his final mission in Iraq, Mike's team stacked behind him as he led them into a twelve-by-twelve-foot room of a building suspected of housing a group of deadly Al Qaeda insurgents. Mike was shot twenty-seven times and suffered shrapnel wounds from a grenade that detonated within a few feet of where he was standing. Mike reflected on the incident some seven years later: “It was a miracle that I survived; it's still hard to believe!” He spent a year recovering from his wounds. “The military did an outstanding job of treating my physical wounds; however, the neurological and emotional wounds were more difficult to diagnose and treat.” Although Mike retired from the Navy in 2010, he continues to lead fellow warriors as a full-time case manager and care advocate. Mike inspires those who may be reluctant to seek assistance with PTSD and/or TBI, through his willingness to speak openly about how to effectively recognize and manage symptoms. He also works to provide his fellow wounded warriors with access to customized brain injury treatment programs that offer a non-pharmacological approach to treating TBI and other neurological issues. “While I am grateful for the VA, there are several organizations that are revolutionizing the treatment of brain injuries; one of them is the Carrick Brain Center.” Current estimates suggest that as many as 300,000 former and current service members have some degree of brain injury. To help Mike raise funds for the care and treatment of wounded warriors and dependent children who have suffered severe brain injuries, check out this link: https://www.crowdrise.com/mikedaystrichallenge/fundraiser/mikeday.
