VFW HELPS FAMILY IN CRISIS
Monday, October 25, 2010

When a family of five hit hard times, VFW was there to soften the blow

Dib Ibrahim joined the military in 2005 and looked forward to a long military career.

However, during his tour in Iraq, he incurred injuries that would put an end to those dreams.

“In Iraq, my back and my hips were severely injured,” Ibrahim described. “I returned home unable to provide for my family.”

Around the same time, Ibrahim’s wife—a Reservist—was leaving the military and about to give birth.

“She couldn’t work. I couldn’t work, and my disability payments had not yet come through,” he said. “We were in a terrible spot.”

Ibrahim’s Veterans Affairs (VA) case manager told him about VFW Unmet Needs. After he applied, VFW sprang to action to help cover rent, a car payment and baby formula.

“What a relief it was,” he said. “We appreciate it so much.”

Today, Ibrahim is receiving disability payments for his back and hip injuries and PTSD, which keeps the family of five going. Ibrahim still struggles with chronic pain and sleeplessness but keeps a positive outlook.

“We have God, and we have ourselves. We are grateful for that,” he concluded.

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