At the end of each deployment, Chris* always came home. He would call often when deployed, and make sure he always knew what the winning score of the volleyball game his daughter had played in was. He was always, “there,” until he wasn’t. During his last deployment, which proved to be more operational than previous…
“I couldn’t tell you the last time we looked one another in the eye, said ‘I love you’ and meant it,” recalls *Jesse, a former Marine. “When we divorced, I thought that was it – then I went on my last deployment, came home, and needed someone. She was someone I knew and didn’t have…
Through Their Eyes: Trauma and PTSd Noah Kelley*, a 4th generation law enforcement officer and first responder, had seen it all; from the evilest domestic assaults, to burned bodies and Hollywood-worthy car accidents. A seasoned veteran of the curveballs the job would offer daily, he felt he could handle anything. “We received a call for…
Members of the first responder community, have a mission to protect and serve the lives of those who are placed in harm’s way. The immeasurable pressure to remain composed and diplomatic in moments of extreme stress can be too difficult for the average person to bear. Law enforcement is a career far more complex than…
“Birthday parties are the worst,” recalls Sarah, a retired Army Captain having served for 15 years in the National Guard, Reserves and on active duty. “When I was in the military, I grew accustomed to not being the only person in the room who looked like me. Now I’m the only mom with full [tattooed]…
We all remember where we were on 9/11. Most of us, watched in complete helplessness as the twin towers fell. Overwhelming emotions echoed throughout the country, and the rest of the world. We felt angry, anxious, fearful and sad. But for Chad*, a now retired member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the memories tell a different story;…
Warrior (n): a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage or aggressiveness. Trauma (n): a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. It had been over five years since *Marc slept peacefully for more than one night at a time. The knowledge of the inevitable flashbacks of what he’d experienced during is seven years in…
“We have a saying in our family, ‘Those who fight the monster, should never become the monster.’ After his last deployment, something was different – he brought the monster home.” Alexis O’Donnell* recalls the moment she first realized she no longer recognized the man she had been married to for over 20 years. The father…
Adrian Hunt*, a 7-year EMT Veteran on Long Island, NY, loved connecting with her patients when on a call. She prided herself in being able to calm someone down by communicating with them – she knew personal details like hobbies, favorite foods or children’s names before they even arrived at the hospital. She often checked…
When Marshall Thompson*, a Columbine, CO Police Officer, smells a pizza, his mind transports him to April 20, 1999 — a seemingly normal day – at Columbine High School, when 12 people, including 1 teacher, were shot dead by two young men who subsequently committed suicide following the massacre. “When everything happened, it was pandemonium,”…
