8/12/2019 RF in Edmond Sun

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SPECIAL TO THE SUN

SAN FRANCISCO — After the dust has settled,the injuries have healedand there’s a replacementcar in the driveway, vic-tims of automobile acci-dents often still face anuphill battle trying tomove on with their lives. According to psycholo-gists, for some the fearnever really goes away. It’scommon enough that theNational Institutes of Health gives physiciansspecific recommendationsfor patients exhibitingacute stress symptomsand PTSD after motorvehicle accidents. Withmore than 3 million injury accidents a year nation- wide, the San FranciscoBay Area personal injury law firm Appel Law FirmLLP, sees their share of theaftermath — only they decided to do somethingabout it.

The 2014 Auto AccidentSurvivor Scholarship isopen to students currently enrolled in an accreditedU.S. college or university  who have either been

injured in a serious motorvehicle accident them-selves or have been deeply affected by another’s acci-dent. Applicants for the$1,000 scholarship areasked to submit an appli-cation, college transcripts,a police report or otherproof documenting theaccident and a short essay about how the eventaltered their lives.

“My job as an injury attorney is to seek full andfair settlements for my clients,” said attorney Thomas Appel. “But get-ting back to normal is stilla challenge.We want tosupport those who aremoving forward in theirlives.”

In a case presented inthe American Family Physician magazine, a 34- year-old man was still suf-fering anxiety and bizarrebehaviors due to an acci-dent he had nearly adozen years earlier. Hisphysical injuries werelong healed and the insur-ance settlement spent.But the emotional scarshad him pulling over tothe side of the road a cou-

ple times a week. He would go into a dissocia-tive state, unable to drivesafely.

“These are everyday heroes,” Thomas said.“They aren’t complainingto anyone, just shoulder-ing the burden of a pasttrauma and doing the bestthey can.”

The scholarship appli-cation can be found at thefirm’s website: and thedeadline for submission isJuly 31. The scholarship will be awarded Aug. 10, with notification by Aug.15. A check will be sent tothe winner’s school tohelp pay tuition or relatedexpenses. Graduate stu-dents are also encouragedto apply.

 Appel also cautions any-one who is having symp-toms of a stress disorderdue to an automobileaccident to seek profes-sional medical help. Henotes that effective treat-ments are available andvictims shouldn’t blamethemselves or fearnegative stereotyping.

SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2014 THE EDMOND SUN EDUCATION | A41

© 2014 THE EDMOND SUN

INSIDE

INFORMATION

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  LEWIS

ORTHODONTICS   405-330-5095

Local law enforcementagencies are helpingSunbeam Family Servicesprovide much-neededschool supplies to grand-parents who are faced with the challenge of rais-ing their grandchildren. According to a recent cen-sus poll, there are nearly three million grandpar-ents raising more than fivemillion grandchildren inthe United States.

Through theGrandparents RaisingGrandchildren Program,

grandparents will receivebackpacks filled withgrade-specific school sup-plies for their grandchil-dren to start the upcom-ing school year.

 Areawide Aging Agency,The Midwest City PoliceDepartment, OklahomaCity Police Department,Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, OklahomaRecyclers Association,TRIAD, volunteers andother community part-ners will work together with Sunbeam to fill back-

packs for 435 grandchil-dren that will be servedthis school year. The back-packs will be distributedto the 174 grandfamiliesJuly 31.

 Volunteers are asked toarrive at 1 p.m. Monday tobegin filling backpacks at1:30 p.m. at SunbeamFamily Services, 616 N.W.21st St. in Oklahoma City.

Parking is availablebehind the building.Upon arrival ask forPatrick O’Kane, directorof senior services.

Agencies ask for volunteersto support grandparentswho raise grandchildren

Out of the stressful wreckage:Scholarships for car crash victims

SPECIAL TO THE SUN

OKLAHOMA CITY—Oklahoma parents cannow access a statewideprogram designed to pro-vide resources and refer-rals for services across

Oklahoma.Rainbow Fleet, a non-profit child care resourceand referral agency, recent-ly established a statewideresource and referral serv-ice designed to help par-ents locate quality childcare options and resourcesin their area. The service isoffered at no cost tocallers.

The statewide, toll-freeresource and referral tele-phone number is 1-800-438-0008. The resourceand referral line is staffedby experienced, knowl-

edgeable specialists withaccess to a variety of pro-grams, carecenters andresources all acrossOklahoma.

“The agency previously 

provided this service inOklahoma and ClevelandCounties,” said CarrieBullard, Rainbow Fleet’sexecutive director, “but anew grant from theOklahoma Child CareResource and Referral

 Association lets us offerthis resource to parents inall 77 counties. This willallow us to help parents allacross our state identify quality child care optionsin there area as well asresources like educationalactivities for their chil-dren.”

For more than 40 years,Rainbow Fleet has provid-ed innovative child devel-opment programs to fami-lies and child care serviceproviders. Rainbow Fleethelps families locate quali-ty child care options and

assists child care providers with a multitude of servic-es including licensing andtechnical assistance as wellas age-appropriate activi-ties and curriculum.

Rainbow Fleet

introduces statewide

child care line

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