ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
April • 2022
A Story of Hope and Resilience RAYE MOCIOIU
Ten years ago, while serving with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan during his third tour of duty, Staff Sergeant Travis Mills was critically injured when the blast from an improvised explosive device (IED) took portions of his legs and both his arms. He is one of only five quadruple amputees to survive his injuries. His experiences led him to write “Tough As They Come,” a memoir detailing his upbringing, military experiences, and inspiring story of perseverance and recovery. Mills was taken to Walter Reed National Medical Center for recovery, where he met Gary Sinise, founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, which works to ensure that veterans, first responders, and their families who have put America’s safety before their own are never forgotten. In the foreword of “Tough As They Come,” Sinise recalls being immediately struck by Mills’ positive outlook, humor, confidence, and sense of gratitude for having survived the blast. “One would think that losing both arms and legs would slow a person down, but with Travis, it seems to be just the opposite. Travis has managed to trump over the harrowing experiences of war and ruin.”—Gary Sinise Just weeks after his injury, Mills insisted on starting rehabilitation, thinking only of his family and how much he wanted to be strong for them. Day after day, Mills went to the rehabilitation center and put in as much work as he could muster, from small movements like bobbing a balloon to stomach crunches with his baby daughter sitting on his chest for added resistance. Two months later, Mills took
his first steps on his prosthetic legs. Less than a year later, he was walking without the help of his crutches. The whole time, he had one thing in mind: never give up, never quit. Now 34, Mills currently lives in Maine with his family. This month, he celebrates his 10th “Alive Day,” celebrating his survival and recovery on that fateful day a decade ago. During his recovery at Walter Reed, Mills discovered a passion for encouraging fellow wounded veterans when he traveled from room to room in the hospital and met others whose lives had been radically reshaped by the wars. Today, he continues that mission with motivational speeches shared at hundreds of events every year, in which he shows wounded veterans and their families that they can overcome their physical and emotional challenges and find purpose. With a big heart and a wonderful sense of humor, Mills speaks to a wide variety of groups, inspiring everyone he meets to overcome their own life challenges. With a big heart and a wonderful sense of humor, Mills speaks to a wide variety of groups, inspiring everyone he meets to overcome their own life challenges. “I don’t hold the value of my service in the military above anyone else’s,” Mills shares in the opening of his book. “I don’t think I served better or harder or greater than any other soldier. I’m just thankful I was able to serve my country. Even though I’ve been wounded badly, I don’t think the challenges in my life are any greater than anyone else’s. Sometimes after people hear my story they say, ‘Man, I don’t know if I could ever press forward like that and overcome challenges like you have.’ But I say, everybody faces challenges
in life, big and small.” Through it all, Mills has used humor as a way to cope with pain. He doesn’t consider himself a “wounded warrior”—he says he’s healed and welcomes the next chapter of his life. He looks back on the incident in Afghanistan and says he just “had a bad day at work.” Mills retired from the United States Army in November 2013 and established the Travis Mills Foundation and Travis Mills Group, LLC with his wife, Kelsey. The organization provides unique support for veterans and their families through programs that help these heroic men and women overcome physical and emotional obstacles. Veterans who have been injured in active duty or as a result of their service receive an all-inclusive, all-expenses-paid, barrier-free vacation in Maine with their families, where they participate in adaptive activities, bond with other veteran families, and enjoy much-needed rest and relaxation. The foundation recently established a new health and wellness center, set to open later this year. Even more recently, Mills hosted a benefit concert with country star and fellow veteran Craig Morgan right before Thanksgiving in Ocala, FL. “Travis is using his means to take care of a new generation of service members injured in battle,” Sinise says. “Whether speaking on behalf of his own foundation and his effort to build a retreat to assist wounded service members and their families or traveling to raise awareness and funding for other military charities, Travis is constantly serving and honoring the needs of his brothers and sisters in arms.” Today, Mills lives his life to the fullest: he drives, jumps on the trampoline with his kids, and
enjoys swimming and boating with the family. In 2014, he and his family moved into their custom Smart Home constructed through the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program. “It is a true honor to serve as an Ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation,” Mills shares.
“The Gary Sinise Foundation has provided my family and I with so much more than a home. It is our duty to continue to support our wounded service men and women and provide them with the necessary freedoms to continue life without limitations. I am honored to play a small part in such an influential organization.”
TRAVIS MILLS FAMILY PHOTO | ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF © THE GARY SINISE FOUNDATION
The World Steps Up to Support Ukraine Ukraine has shown incredible strength and resilience amid turmoil and war, stirring inspiring displays of humanity within the country and around the world. As the Russian invasion rages on and the people of Ukraine fight for their freedom, people from all walks of life are showing their solidarity with Ukraine. From celebrities to professors to young children, the world is standing with Ukraine.
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKIY VISITS WOUNDED TEEN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is receiving praise across the globe for his courage in leading his country amid the invasion. At the same time, he has made a consistent effort to put his people first. Recently, during a visit to a wounded 16-year-old girl in a Kyiv hospital, he received some welcome news: he is a star on the TikTok video app. After handing Katya Vlasenko a bunch of white and pink flowers as she lay in bed, Zelenskiy said: “It is not easy, but we do the right thing.” Vlasenko, who was wounded when her family’s car came under fire as they fled Russian forces, replied: “And everybody supports you on TikTok,” prompting a smile from the president and members of his entourage. “So we have occupied TikTok?” he asked. “All talk about you, it is all about you.”
CELEBRITY SUPPORTERS
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher launched a GoFundMe page to support Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. On March 17th, the couple surpassed their fundraising goal of $30 million for Ukrainian refugees, earning a call from President Zelenskiy himself, thanking them for their efforts in raising funds and awareness. The 38-year-old actress— who was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, but moved to the U.S. as a child—admitted she is a “proud Ukrainian” and has hit out at the “unjust attack” on her home country. Mila wrote on the page: “Today, I am a proud Ukrainian. While my family came to the United States in 1991, I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, in 1983. Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in their time of need. This unjust attack on Ukraine and humanity at large is devastating, and the Ukrainian people need our support. Our family is starting this fund to help provide immediate support, and we will be matching up to 3 million dollars. “While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety. Countless amounts of people have left everything they know and love behind to seek refuge. With nothing but what they could carry, these Ukrainian refugees are in need of housing and supplies right away.
“Through GoFundMe.org, this fundraiser will provide an immediate impact on refugee and humanitarian aid efforts. The fund will benefit Flexport.org and Airbnb.org, two organizations that are actively on the ground providing immediate help to those who need it most.” “Our work is not done,” said Kutcher. “We’re going to do everything we can to ensure the outpouring of love that came from you all as a part of this campaign finds a maximum impact for those in need.” Many celebrity supporters have stepped up to aid Ukraine, including Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Hayden Panettiere, and David Beckham, all of whom have launched fundraising initiatives to support the nation.
FROM FRANCE TO UKRAINE
When Russia invaded Ukraine, French professor Yves Gineste didn’t think twice—he set off on a four-day drive to the eastern edge of Slovakia to offer his Perpignan house to refugees. Bearing a cardboard sign seeking “One family for a house in France, travel and house free,” he registered with a charity at Vysne Nemecke, a crossing on the Slovakia-Ukraine border. A few hours later, he was helping 26-year-old manicurist Nastia Kiselyova, along with a friend traveling with her daughter and niece, load their belongings into his campervan before heading back the 1,200
UKRAINE’S PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY PRESENTS FLOWERS TO KATERYNA VLASENKO, 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO WAS INJURED AS SHE FLED WITH HER FAMILY FROM THE TOWN OF VORZEL AS RUSSIA’S ATTACK ON UKRAINE CONTINUES, AT A HOSPITAL IN KYIV, UKRAINE MARCH 17, 2022. © UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
miles to southwest France. Kiselyova said she had left behind her parents, her father being military age and her mother employed as a nurse in a military hospital, and that her group had an acquaintance in Spain where they might try to travel on to from France.
SUPPORT IN SMALL PACKAGES
Gioia Maria, a 10-year-old Italian girl, says she would like to do more for people suffering from the war in Ukraine, “but I’m very small.” So every night, she prays. And she wants Ukrainian children to know it. The girl wrote a letter in her best English on a large yellow sheet of paper and gave it to her mother to bring to a church, collecting food, medicine, and clothing to be sent to Ukraine and border
areas taking in refugees. “Dear Ukrainian friends, my name is Gioia Maria. And I’m Italian. I’m very sorry for this horrible war. I’m very close to you with my heart. I’d very much like to do more, but I’m very small and far away. Every night I pray for you and I ask God to help you. With love. Gioia Maria.” Six heart signs follow her name. Her mother, Katherine Valerio, said Gioia Maria used her savings to buy gifts for Ukrainian children to send along with the letter. “I have two daughters, a 10-year-old and an 8-year-old, and they ask me why all this is happening and above all, they ask me how they can help these children,” she said amid the bustle of volunteers receiving, sorting, and packing donations outside Santa Sofia church in Rome’s outskirts. (Source: Reuters)
