Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/398416
M eet David Kupferschmid, the Maryland-based licensed massage therapist who works to help repair the wounded bodies of these military men and women and give whatever respite he can deliver. He'll tell you this is not work for the faint of heart. But it is work for the heart-full. Clients in all stages of their injury recovery come to see David. His expertise is working with those who've lost limbs while in service. He offers them a chance at pain relief, eased mobility, and somatic reintegration. As a therapist, the reward is immeasurable, he says. It's at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and through the organization Comfort for America's Uniformed Services (CAUSE) that David meets these clients. Thousands of military personnel wounded in the line of duty come to Walter Reed to start their healing process. This is the medical gateway home. CAUSE, a nonprofi t which serves military personnel, tries to bridge a therapeutic gap by offering massage and reiki to Walter Reed patients during biweekly events at the hospital. Since 2011, David has volunteered his time at CAUSE events each month. Early on, though, he knew he had to help these recovering heroes more than once a month. With the blessing of CAUSE, David invites these warriors to his home massage clinic on his day off and works on them—pro bono. "I can work on them a longer time and start really addressing their issues," he says. "These young folks have given so much to us; they deserve everything we can give them in return." Each client takes away something different from David's massage table. Relief from the unrelenting pain of recovery. Relief from muscle stress as a limbless body fi gures out how to move again. Relief from the rehab process. Relief from the world outside. Here, let them tell you. "This is Not How I'm Going to Go Out" With the blast still ringing in his ears, Lance Corporal Paul Shupert pulled from his US Marine Corps training where everyone is taught how to tourniquet a leg and plug a gaping chest wound—the most common injuries on the battlefi eld. He didn't miss a beat when he went for the tourniquet in his pocket to tie off what was left of the mangled limb in front of him. He knew he had to proceed quickly before shock kicked in or the wound bled out. As the puddle of blood quickly grew, others stoically took over the effort as they waited for the medevac helicopter to arrive. It was November 25, 2013, on the battlefi elds of Afghanistan, and Paul's right foot was no longer on his leg. When Paul recounts his story, there is no pity in his voice, no woe-is-me in his words. The loss of his lower leg to an improvised explosive device (IED) is a matter-of-fact event in his life. This is how it is. F r e e m u s i c d o w n l o a d s f o r C e r t i f i e d m e m b e r s : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 57 David Kupferschmid (shown here with Richard, center, and Melissa Burkett) says he is humbled by the wounded warriors he sees in his home offi ce.