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OCTOBER 2025 | ISSUE #42 | PVA SUPPORTER EDITION
MEET ARMY VETERAN AND PVA MEMBER KEYL
Keyla joined the Army in 2013, was a transportation 88H Cargo Specialist deployed to Kuwait 2017-2018 and is a member of PVA's Puerto Rico chapter.
“Being in the military was a dream. I finished my bachelor’s degree and quickly, the same year, I joined the army. For my family education was a very important part. Nobody else in my family is military.”
Keyla, who was diagnosed with MS in 2021, has found community and friendship in PVA's annual Women Veterans Empowerment Retreat. “The PVA Women Veterans Empowerment Retreat is a spectacular experience that every person should have. The part where we went to the pool was one where I was impressed, as there were women who had gone years without being able to get into a pool. The retreat is like therapy for each of us,” Keyla says.
"Apart from everything that they teach us, sharing with other people with the same condition helps us exchange experiences and learn from each other.”
PVA’s Women Veterans Program provides tailored support, advocacy, and community-building opportunities to ensure women Veterans feel seen, heard, and empowered throughout their healthcare and benefits journey.
PVA HOSTS ANNUAL WOMEN VETERANS EMPOWERMENT RETREAT
The three-day event engaged, inspired, and trained over 40 women Veterans from across the continental U.S. on topics including self-advocacy, leadership development, confidence, empowerment, and more.
Featuring a virtual discussion entitled Leading with Confidence in Male-Dominated Spaces with PVA ambassador and renowned sports anchor Hannah Storm, this year's retreat also offered attendees the opportunity to get makeovers and professional headshots courtesy of PVA partner, Lancôme.
PVA'S ADVOCACY EFFORTS CONTINUE
September marked Congress’s return to session! With it, came a powerful testimony from PVA’s National President, Robert Thomas, who spoke before lawmakers on the critical need to strengthen the VA’s Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care. Click the button below to watch a recording of the live testimony.
PVA ARCHITECTS continue PROGRESS ON DALLAS SCI/D CENTER
Last month, PVA’s Architecture department continued to drive progress in the development of the new Dallas VA Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCI/D) Long-Term Care (LTC) Center. Since construction began in January 2024, PVA has worked closely with project partners to ensure the facility will fully meet the needs of PVA members and significantly improve the VA’s ability to meet the long-term care needs of Dallas-based Veterans with SCI/D.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2027 and will open for resident use the following summer. Following construction, the VA will install furniture, medical and technology equipment, and finalize staff training.
Give back to heroes: Claim a new 2025 PVA Tumbler!
Give back to heroes: Claim your 2025 PVA Tumbler today with a donation of $65 or more.
Our gift to you is more than a proud symbol of all you make possible for paralyzed and disabled Veterans—it also helps PVA provide critical resources to heroes in need. Celebrate your impact and change Veteran lives at the same time: Claim your 2025 PVA Tumbler today with a donation of $65 or more.
PVA IN THE NEWS
U.S. DOT Hits Pause on Four Provisions in New Wheelchair Rule, Runway Girl Network
In response to a lawsuit by airline trade group A4A, U.S. Department of Transportation officials have paused enforcement of four provisions in a sweeping December 2024 rule that conferred new air travel protections to disabled passengers including by strengthening the language around liability when wheelchairs are mishandled — despite years of advocacy by disability rights groups including Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA).
The Milwaukee VA and the Wisconsin Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America hosted an adaptive sports bootcamp at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex.
Weis Markets Is Supporting Paralyzed Veterans of America Throughout October, ABC27
Weis Markets is once again supporting Paralyzed Veterans of America with it’s 9th annual fundraising campaign. If you shop at Weis Markets, you can be a part of that support all month long. Click the button below to watch Hannah Gratti of Weis Markets and Carl Blake, CEO of Paralyzed Veterans of America, speak with ABC27.
PVA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organization.
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