13 | July | 2017 | RSD Advisory- Where Chronic Pain & Depression Collide

“StrongerThanPain is officially a Non-Profit Organization in California. Our California Entity number is C4037128 and our Federal EIN (Federal Tax ID Number) is 82-1995726. We have many things that we hope to accomplish in the future, including obtaining Federal 501(C)(3) status. Suicide is something that is not talked about enough and we feel like it should be. We may not be able to save the world, but if we can save one person; that’s what makes it worth it. “I Fight, You Fight, We Fight Together“

~ Written by President and CEO Kurtis VanFleet a.k.a my son Ozra.

https://www.facebook.com/StrongerThanPain/

“Stronger Than Pain recognizes suicide, not as a single entity, but in the vast and diverse entities of life.
We recognize suicide in all aspects of people. We understand that acknowledgement is at the forefront to quality of life, and that prevention is the core source to educate and align hearts everywhere with understanding.

It is our goal to reduce stigma in reaching out, love the hearts in battle, educate our children, and provide resources to under served populations as well as; law enforcement, our military, chronic pain patients, families in crisis, including those families who would never admit a crisis existed. We want to help you be Stronger Than Pain.

We ask that you share with us that which you hold inside and tell us how we might help you to overcome suicidal ideations regardless if you’re “at risk” or seeking to understand and help someone else who is.”

OUR MISSION

Stronger Than Pain Inc. is a Non-Profit Organization for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness. Our mission is to educate and support people in our community and around the world. Stronger Than Pain will educate the public by hosting community events and speaking at schools and conferences.

Kurtis VanFleet – President/Chief Executive Officer

Kurtis is a 20 year old from California who strives on helping others. Dealing with the loss of numerous friends and family due to suicide and depression and knowing that we lose over 40,000 people a year, 5,000 of those being Veterans, and over 250 of those being First Responders, Kurtis wanted to see change. He founded Stronger Than Pain with the help of his mother Twinkle, and hopes to help lower the number of suicides per year. Kurtis is a Private First Class (PFC) in the California Military Department, California State Military Reserve and works full time in Law Enforcement.

Twinkle was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in 2003 after a January 26, 2001 work place injury. She’s lived with arthritis and minor ailments since birth. Spinal deterioration, spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, levoscoliois, diverticulitis, and a dozen other pain related illnesses, diagnoseses and syndromes evolved.

She’s been active in pain advocacy for 14 years and has volunteered both in person and via social media for pain care and legislative policy.

Twinkle is currently a Medtronic Patient Ambassador and NPAF volunteer. Kurtis is Twinkle’s youngest child who was only 3 years old when she was permanently injured.

Twinkle is a graduate of John Robert Powers School of Professional Acting, Modeling and Public Speaking. She started college at 15 with a course of study in Law and Theatre. She studied Corporate Publishing at OSC from 2005-7.

She received the Diamond Homor Award for Poetic Excellence in 1998. She was featured and profiled in the November 17, 1994 Edition of the Sacramento News and Review. The Free Speech Issue went on to receive recognition for 20 Years of Excellence for SN&R.

She has been assisting people through physical and emotion pain since she was a teenager. She is the founder of the RSD(S)-CRPS Advisory websites and support group .

She currently works with the Gohl Program which provides natural relief for chronic pain of all types. Manual Ligament Therapy also known as MLT was developed by Arik Gohl.

For more information or to learn about upcoming MLT programs please Contact Monica Depriest at 931-996-8432.

Twinkle is a suicide survivor.

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Ozra has many more credits to his name in volunteering, pain advocacy, and law. He’s performed music since he was 8 years old, and is the owner of all of my “intellectual property” since the beginning of time minus a few offset percentages to his dad, sisters and nephew.

He knows your pain, your weakness, your strive and your give up. Your gain! He knows what it means to go on, when going on isn’t that easy. His sisters many years older than him also know that pain. They know the pain of losing all that they had, he knows pain of never having it.

It is our hope to help bring you up from mindset that will take you down. It’s our hope that together we’ll show you, encourage you, and give you the peace of mind that you deserve.

Why would you deserve it even if other people consider you crazy? Because you’re not, not like that.

If I can compare myself to you for a minute, let me assure you that you are worth your life. Can I try at least to assure you that crazy people don’t even know that they’re crazy and I love my crazy and I love yours too. Survival!

How can I help you believe in you when no else does? Can I tell you that if you’ve truly had to fight to feed you or your family, you haven’t done anything wrong. If you’ve had to break the law, you did break it and your consequences will come, but I understand what you broke for.

You’re still good to me. Stronger Than Pain Cover

Help us, help you!

I’ll be starting a couple of courses soon in subjects of interest and which will be useful in any career or advocacy goals. I’m looking forward to learning more and I’m hopeful that I can pass the finals to receive the certification’s.

It’s an opportunity for continued education while deciding if Vocational Rehab can even begin this year.

I’m still reading Anatomy and Physiology books and I’m just beginning Section 5: The Musculoskeletal System in one of them. I’m really excited about that section. I’m still relearning Spanish.

I suppose the most important part of it all is that however slow at it I am right now, I’m gaining and regaining knowledge in diverse subject matter and that’s enlightening.

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