Jill Biden visits Palo Alto VA polytrauma center

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco played host to Vice President Biden and his wife Jill Wednesday night.

The vice president appeared at two campaign events at the Bently Reserve in the city's Financial District. Tickets started at $2,500 and went all the way up to $10,000. All of the money goes to President Obama's re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Wednesday night, Biden attended a forum with local technology leaders.

Jill Biden spent the day with veterans and military families at the VA hospital in Palo Alto. The hospital contains a polytrauma center and is one of only five such facilities in the VA hospital system. It is a complete, comprehensive rehabilitation center which specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

It was Dr. Jill Biden's first visit to a VA polytrauma center. She has been heavily involved with first lady Michelle Obama in their initiative called "Joining Forces," a program that honors and supports veterans and their families. She met with three Army veterans recuperating from severe wounds suffered on the battlefields of Afghanistan.

20-year-old Private Geoffrey Quevedo lost his left foot and part of his arm when an IED exploded near him. 38-year-old Staff Sgt. Roberto Flores suffered a spinal cord injury when he was shot in the chest. 26-year-old Specialist Semisi Tokailagi is being treated for traumatic brain injury. He was in a coma for a month.

The vice president's wife spoke little during the meeting. She mostly listened intently to what doctors and the three patients said. She spent a little over an hour there. The veterans hoped they got their message across.

"We want her to know that we're getting taken care of pretty good here. Like I said, everybody answers our questions. No question goes unanswered here. They're real good," Quevedo told ABC7.

"I'd like to thank her for stopping by and ensuring that those medical things for the family and for the soldiers are taken care of," Flores said.

There are 12 beds at the polytrauma center, all being used by patients wounded in Afghanistan. The Biden's son spent one year serving in Iraq.

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joe biden, fundraiser, palo alto, afghanistan war, iraq war, military, peninsula news, vic lee

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