National Trauma Survivors Day is May 18

May is designated as National Trauma Awareness Month, and this year, National Trauma Survivors Day (NTSD) is Wednesday, May 18.

Recovery from trauma is a long process and celebrating successful outcomes allows others to draw inspiration and provide support to other survivors and their caregivers. This support helps patients who are on the road to their recovery.

During the month of May, trauma survivors, family members of trauma survivors, and those who support these patients are encouraged to write notes of inspiration to aid others in their recovery process. Sharing the notes via social media will create one strong voice for recovery from traumatic injuries.

Posting a message of hope and support will create an unprecedented voice of compassion and solidarity from the trauma community on behalf of patients and their families.

Participating is easy:

Print the attached sign, write your words of advice or inspiration on the sign, take a photo of yourself holding the sign, and upload the image to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtags #TraumaSurvivorsDay and #NTSD. Tag your friends and family, along with your trauma center.

Check out this YouTube page for video instructions and an example.

Also, the American Trauma Society and Trauma Survivors Network is presenting Race to Rebuild, a virtual and in-person 5K and one-mile walk/run/cycle/roll event to support trauma survivors. The in-person event is set for Sunday, May 22, at 2 p.m. on the rail-trail near the lock and dam in Morgantown.