In our society, we hear the word freedom a lot. It’s written in our constitution, and why this country was started; we wanted freedom. But freedom can be an expensive word. When speaking of expensive, the first thing most people think about is money. The tax dollars spent to assure our freedoms are huge, but the true cost of freedom comes in the form of lives—the men and women who leave their homes and families in the name of freedom. Unfortunately, some never have the chance to return home to their families and these brave souls become numbers or statistics of our military.

Families breathe a sigh of relief when their loved ones return from deployment and are thankful that their prayers were answered with their safe return. But sometimes when our loved ones get home the battle really isn’t over. There are thoughts or experiences that can’t be forgotten from the military, and they keep resurfacing and being relived in the dark areas of their mind. Like a glowing ember in a pile of debris, there’s a fire—but unlike our homes, there’s no smoke detector to warn us of the danger of continued memories or thoughts. Many times, these thoughts are covered up with temporary escapes like alcohol, drugs, extreme quietness, or anger, but it’s relentlessly there in the form of “post-traumatic stress disorder” or PTSD. 

A Chillicothe man went to the military and served his country well. After being deployed for four years in the Marines and then another two years deployed as a reservist, Matt had an unseen struggle. Just like the other 20.6 % of the deployed Veterans from Operation Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was suffering from “PTSD.” 

After returning from the Marines, Matt worked eight years for the California Fire Protection, but the silent killer, “PTSD” wouldn’t leave him alone. One dark day, Matt lost his battle with PTSD. Matt wasn’t a quitter, a failure, or weak. He was just a soldier who couldn’t forget what he saw or experienced during the deployment years. 

To help others, Matt’s family donated money to different organizations that help veterans with PTSD. They also contacted the Fred Meister Chillicothe Community Firefighters Association and donated money since Matt was a firefighter in California and had Chillicothe roots. The Firefighters association then added money of their own and together they gave a check to Freedom Paws. 

Freedom Paws is a local Chillicothe group that is dedicated to providing Veterans and First Responders who suffer from PTSD with a trained service dog to assist in mitigating life’s daily challenges. At Freedom Paws, there are many people working as a team, taking puppies and training them as they grow, so they know how to help veterans with PTSD. Not every dog can make the cut, but they don’t give up until they find dogs that are capable of the task of being a best friend to someone experiencing this disorder.

Freedom isn’t free and veterans need your help. You can help by simply donating money to Freedom Paws so they can continue helping families that are struggling with PTSD. Also, donate to the Fred Meister Chillicothe Community Firefighters Association. They help the Chillicothe area in many ways and are all volunteers.

These are our families, and this is our community. Together we can truly make a difference and hopefully, another family doesn’t have to experience the loss of a hero.