On Wednesday, Prince Harry followed his older brother Prince
William in having an audience with President Barack Obama at the Oval
Office.
While Prince William spoke about the plight of endangered elephants
and rhinos in Africa during his White House meeting last December, Harry
was promoting his campaign to help wounded veterans.
The former British Army captain, who completed two tours in
Afghanistan, is on a one-day visit to D.C. to launch his
paralympic-style Invictus Games, which will take place in Orlando,
Florida, in May.
Earlier on Wednesday, he spent time with First Lady Michelle Obama
and Dr. Jill Biden, both of whom are big backers of veterans’ welfare.
Speaking at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Harry, 31, discussed tackling
the stigma behind many of the issues faced by wounded service members.
“One thing we have to talk about more is breaking down these barriers
around so-called invisible injuries, like post-traumatic stress, just
as we have for physical injuries like the loss of a limb,” he said.
“This is a topic I know the First Lady and Dr. Biden are working hard
to highlight so that people are no longer afraid to ask for help. This
fear of coming forward, as a result of the stigma which surrounds mental
health, is one of the greatest challenges veterans face.
People from
all walks of life struggle with issues like post-traumatic stress,
anxiety, and depression, not just veterans.
“We have to help them all to get the support they need, without fear
of being judged or discriminated against. Not only is it okay to talk
about it, we have to talk about it.”
Harry has devoted much of his public life to helping those he has
served alongside. Last month, he spent time with six ex-armed service
members who are walking 1,000 miles around Britain.
And he is expected to welcome that crew into Buckingham Palace on Sunday.
“What’s important is to recognize that the mental health support for
these guys, former servicemen and women, is there,” he told PEOPLE in
September. “They have served their country. They have put their lives on
the line for their country.”
Prepared by : PeneranganPemudaSEREMBAN
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