Story by Lindsey Schmidt.
Project R3con is not fighting skepticism from the Special Operations community.
It’s fighting numbers.
“We’re fighting for funding,” Anna Richardson, the organization’s CEO, said bluntly. “That’s the story. How absolutely difficult it is to secure funding for something of this magnitude.”
Project R3con says it may be the only nonprofit focused specifically on funding stem cell therapy for traumatic brain injury (TBI) within the Special Operations community. That magnitude carries a $450,000 price tag for a 30-participant treatment protocol and the data collection that follows. In the world of medical research, that number is modest. In the world of philanthropy, it’s steep. Project R3con was founded by Travis Wilson, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, whose personal recovery through stem cell therapy inspired him to help others heal.
“In the scheme of what it can cost to potentially heal somebody, especially their brain, $15,000 does not feel like a big price tag,” she said. “But when you’re asking for philanthropic dollars, it is a mountain to climb.”
This article explores the work behind Project R3con Stem Cell Therapy for TBI and the organization’s effort to fund treatment for Special Operations personnel facing traumatic brain injury.
Read more on SOF.news.