“Every time I was asked what I wanted to be as a young child, I always told my family I was joining the military,” said veteran Quwanna Lininger. “That answer never changed.”
Today, Lininger, 45, lives in Martinez, Georgia, and has a 16-year-old daughter, Leah.
She served in the Navy for four years and was injured while deployed to Bahrain. As a result, she was diagnosed with right rotator cuff tendonitis. Even with treatment, Lininger’s condition failed to improve.
“I went through years of physical therapy without success,” she said.
After prolonged pain, numbness and tingling, Lininger finally received answers. Tests revealed a bone spur in her shoulder that was shredding the bicep muscle. She also was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease that had been causing pain in her neck and shoulder.
Lininger underwent cervical spinal fusion and discectomy in April 2020.
She was unsure how to make ends meet during recovery and searched online for assistance. That is when she discovered the Unmet Needs program on the VFW website.
Liniger applied for an Unmet Needs grant to help her maintain reliable transportation, and within a short period of time, her request was approved. The grant helped cover her car payment and insurance.
“It allowed me to keep my vehicle,” she said. “That meant that when I was approved to go back to work, I actually could.”
The VFW’s support provided Lininger peace of mind. She advises other veterans going through a hard time to seek help.
“I am very grateful for the support that made a stressful situation less difficult and allowed me to focus on healing,” she continued, “I have told others in need about the VFW and not to waste any time applying.”