Military and Veterans Program Spotlight: Scott Griffith

Scott Griffith’s path toward a military life was practically preordained. Born at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Griffith grew up in a family defined by a history of service dating to the mid-1600s.

“We grew up playing soldiers,” he says. “That’s what we aspired to be.”

Griffith enlisted in the U.S Army when he was just 17, launching a career in aviation maintenance that would take him around the world. During the Gulf War, when he was deployed to Iraq with the 24^th Infantry Division, Griffith became the 8^th generation of his family to serve in combat.

But in 2010, a tumor inside of his spinal cord shifted what Griffith assumed to be a settled life. He developed Brown-Sequard syndrome, a rare neurological condition that caused him to lose sensation in his left leg and foot, along with the fine motor skills in his right hand. Griffith retired from the military but remained determined to “live with integrity and purposefulness, to leave a legacy.”

“I needed to give back,” he says.

In his current role as a member of the Reeve Foundation Military & Veterans Program (MVP) advisory council, Griffith is doing just that.

Since its inception in 2008, the MVP has helped thousands of families access specialty care and resources at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals while navigating the more emotional aspects of a life changed by paralysis. Council members like Griffith – retired service members, civilians and caregivers with ties to the various branches of the Armed Services – not only connect with veterans and caregivers who call the National Paralysis Resource Center for guidance, but also serve as outreach ambassadors at adaptive sporting events and disability expositions across the country.

“Our council members are critical to our success,” says MVP coordinator James Howard. “They’re reaching out and staying connected, filling the gaps for our veterans. And they’re bringing a wealth of knowledge to the council that helps us support the community.”

The MVP serves all veterans with paralysis, no matter whether acquired while on active duty or through disease or an accident that occurred after discharge or retirement. The council meets monthly to discuss the challenges faced by veterans – from finding caregiver respite to winding through a thicket of red tape to understand and access benefits – and share information about successful programs, resources and strategies that ensure families get the support they deserve.