‘I got my life back.' Veterans with PTSD making progress thanks to service dog program
A bouncy labradoodle and a Kansas City-area program helped her get back on her feet.
Dogs 4 Valor, operated through the Olathe, Kansas-based organization called The Battle Within, helps retired veterans and first responders work with their service dogs to help manage depression, anxiety and other challenges.
'A lot of times the veteran with severe PTSD is homebound,' said Sandra Sindeldecker, program manager for Dogs 4 Valor. 'They're isolated. They're very nervous. They won't make eye contact. Some won't leave the house at all.'
The program involves both group and one-on-one training. The goal is to get the veteran and the dog comfortable with each other and understanding each other. The group takes outings to help the veterans regain their footing in public places like airports. Program leaders also provide mental health therapy at no cost.
The veterans and dogs graduate in six to nine months, but group gatherings continue.
O'Brien, 40, recalled that the camp where she worked in Iraq sometimes had over 20,000 detainees. Violence and rioting were common and it left her with severe anxiety.
'When I got out of the military, I just assumed that you're supposed to be on edge all the time as a veteran,' O'Brien said.
O'Brien's mother spotted the frisky lab-poodle mix on Facebook and convinced her daughter to adopt the dog she named Albus. Months later, O'Brien learned about Dogs 4 Valor, and the pair joined the program in October 2023.
Now, O'Brien said she can get back out in public — she even went on vacation to Branson, Missouri, 'things that I never would have thought I would do really, probably ever again.'
Mark Atkinson, 38, served in Afghanistan as a corporal in the Marine Corps. He returned home with PTSD and major depressive disorder, causing sleeplessness and anxiety. He adopted Lexi, now 5, in 2020.
Lexi, a muscular cane corso breed, needed Atkinson as much as he needed her. Her previous owner had kept Lexi on chains before surrendering her. Since joining Dogs 4 Valor, the two can get out together and enjoy life.
'I don't really like leaving the house because I'm safe there, you know?' Atkinson said. 'And having Lexi has just made me get out to be more social.'
Having a group of fellow veterans facing the same challenges has also helped, Atkinson said.
'We come from the same backgrounds, different branches,' Atkinson said. 'Same issues. You know, PTSD or traumatic brain injuries. And they're all very welcoming as well. There's no judgment.'
O'Brien compared living with Albus to a relationship with a sometimes pushy best friend who often wants to go out.
'The best friend constantly wants to make you do things that make you nervous,' O'Brien laughed, acknowledging that it is ultimately up to her.
'I have to decide to walk out and just deal with life,' O'Brien said. 'And so that has been hard. And it still is hard from time to time, but it's it's getting manageable.'
Some veterans said their family relationships have improved since they started the program.
'I'm able to talk, not fly off the handle and just get along with people and not be as stressed, not have as much anxiety,' Atkinson said. 'Or even if I do, she (Lexi) is right there with me.'
Timothy Siebenmorgen, 61, said his relationships also are better with help from his 1-year-old American bulldog, Rosie, and Dogs 4 Valor, which he joined in July. He served in both the Marines and Army, deploying 18 times.
'You're in the military, kind of taught not to show weakness,' Siebenmorgen said. 'So you figure you can tackle everything yourself and you honestly believe that. And then you realize you can't do it on your own.'
Veterans said the dogs, and the program, have given them new hope and a renewed ability to move forward.
'I got my life back,' O'Brien said.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
18 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Israeli forces kill over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, witnesses and health officials say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces killed at least 23 Palestinians seeking food on Sunday in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials and witnesses, who described facing gunfire as hungry crowds surged around aid sites as the malnutrition-related death toll surged. Desperation has gripped the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts have warned is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and nearly two-year offensive. Yousef Abed, among the crowds en route to a distribution point, described coming under what he called indiscriminate fire, looking around and seeing at least three people bleeding on the ground. 'I couldn't stop and help them because of the bullets,' he said. Southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital said they had received bodies from near multiple distribution sites, including eight from Teina, about three kilometers (1.8 miles) away from a distribution site in Khan Younis, which is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private U.S. and Israeli-backed contractor that took over aid distribution more than two months ago. The hospital also received one body from Shakoush, an area hundreds of meters (yards) north of a different GHF site in Rafah. Another nine were also killed by troops near the Morag corridor, who were awaiting trucks entering Gaza through an Israeli border crossing, it said. Three Palestinian eyewitnesses, seeking food in Teina and Morag, told The Associated Press the shootings occurred on the route to the distribution points, which are in military zones secured by Israeli forces. They said they saw soldiers open fire on hungry crowds advancing toward the troops. Further north in central Gaza, hospital officials described a similar episode, with Israeli troops opening fire Sunday morning toward crowds of Palestinians trying to GHF's fourth and northernmost distribution point. 'Troops were trying to prevent people from advancing. They opened fire and we fled. Some people were shot,' said Hamza Matter, one of the aid seekers. At least five people were killed and 27 wounded at GHF's site near Netzarim corridor, Awda Hospital said. Eyewitnesses seeking food in the strip have reported similar gunfire attacks in recent days near aid distribution sites, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead. The United Nations reported 859 people have been killed near GHF sites from May 27 to July 31 and that hundreds more have been slain along the routes of U.N.-led food convoys. The GHF launched in May as Israel sought an alternative to the U.N.-run system, which had safely delivered aid for much of the war but was accused by Israel of allowing Hamas, which guarded convoys early in the war, to siphon supplies. Israel has not offered evidence of widespread theft. The U.N. has denied it. GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israel's military has said it only fires warning shots as well. Both claimed the death tolls have been exaggerated Neither Israel's military nor GHF immediately responded to questions about Sunday's reported fatalities. Meanwhile, the Gaza health ministry also said six more Palestinian adults died of malnutrition-related causes in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours. This brings the death toll among Palestinian adults to 82 in the past five weeks since the ministry started counting deaths among adults in late June, it said. Ninety-three children have also died of causes related to malnutrition since the war in Gaza started in 2023, the ministry said. The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, and abducted another 251. They are still holding 50 captives, around 20 believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed its figures, but hasn't provided its own account of casualties.
The Hill
18 hours ago
- The Hill
Israeli forces kill over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, witnesses and health officials say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces killed at least 23 Palestinians seeking food on Sunday in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials and witnesses, who described facing gunfire as hungry crowds surged around aid sites as the malnutrition-related death toll surged. Desperation has gripped the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts have warned is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and nearly two-year offensive. Yousef Abed, among the crowds en route to a distribution point, described coming under what he called indiscriminate fire, looking around and seeing at least three people bleeding on the ground. 'I couldn't stop and help them because of the bullets,' he said. Southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital said they had received bodies from near multiple distribution sites, including eight from Teina, about three kilometers (1.8 miles) away from a distribution site in Khan Younis, which is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private U.S. and Israeli-backed contractor that took over aid distribution more than two months ago. The hospital also received one body from Shakoush, an area hundreds of meters (yards) north of a different GHF site in Rafah. Another nine were also killed by troops near the Morag corridor, who were awaiting trucks entering Gaza through an Israeli border crossing, it said. Three Palestinian eyewitnesses, seeking food in Teina and Morag, told The Associated Press the shootings occurred on the route to the distribution points, which are in military zones secured by Israeli forces. They said they saw soldiers open fire on hungry crowds advancing toward the troops. Further north in central Gaza, hospital officials described a similar episode, with Israeli troops opening fire Sunday morning toward crowds of Palestinians trying to GHF's fourth and northernmost distribution point. 'Troops were trying to prevent people from advancing. They opened fire and we fled. Some people were shot,' said Hamza Matter, one of the aid seekers. At least five people were killed and 27 wounded at GHF's site near Netzarim corridor, Awda Hospital said. Eyewitnesses seeking food in the strip have reported similar gunfire attacks in recent days near aid distribution sites, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead. The United Nations reported 859 people have been killed near GHF sites from May 27 to July 31 and that hundreds more have been slain along the routes of U.N.-led food convoys. The GHF launched in May as Israel sought an alternative to the U.N.-run system, which had safely delivered aid for much of the war but was accused by Israel of allowing Hamas, which guarded convoys early in the war, to siphon supplies. Israel has not offered evidence of widespread theft. The U.N. has denied it. GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israel's military has said it only fires warning shots as well. Both claimed the death tolls have been exaggerated Neither Israel's military nor GHF immediately responded to questions about Sunday's reported fatalities. Meanwhile, the Gaza health ministry also said six more Palestinian adults died of malnutrition-related causes in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours. This brings the death toll among Palestinian adults to 82 in the past five weeks since the ministry started counting deaths among adults in late June, it said. Ninety-three children have also died of causes related to malnutrition since the war in Gaza started in 2023, the ministry said. The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, and abducted another 251. They are still holding 50 captives, around 20 believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed its figures, but hasn't provided its own account of casualties.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Woman Diagnosed With AIDS Given 2 Years to Live—Shock Over Her Health Now
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "I kept my status hidden for decades to protect my family, but now it's my time to talk," Jennifer Comstock told Newsweek, 35 years after an AIDS diagnosis left her in denial. In 1990, Comstock and her first husband were on active duty in the Marine Corps. With her husband due to be sent out to the Persian Gulf, he submitted to a mandatory HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) test, which was positive. That wasn't when Comstock learned her fate, as she didn't know her husband was living with HIV until she visited him in the hospital and noticed countless warnings about HIV on his ward. Comstock was faced with the reality that her husband had been cheating on her with men and may have transmitted HIV. Just 20 years old, Comstock got tested and then came a perilous wait for the results. A month later, she was given the devastating news that she too was positive. "As I was on active duty in the Marine Corps, I was expected to be composed and to keep breathing, which I did," Comstock said. "In those early years, I lived in denial. I just believed I was going to be OK, without any real reason for feeling that way." During her first trip to the hospital, Comstock, now 55, learned that her T cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system fight germs, were below 200. The normal range can vary, but The Cleveland Clinic suggests that generally it should be between 500 to 1,200 cells for a healthy adult. HIV is known to attack white blood cells and causes the body to make fewer T cells. By the time she learned of her diagnosis, Comstock's health had already deteriorated significantly. As a result, she was given an automatic AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) diagnosis. Jennifer Comstock in 1990 while in the Marine Corps, and with her second husband. Jennifer Comstock in 1990 while in the Marine Corps, and with her second husband. @positivejen / TikTok Untreated, HIV weakens the immune system and can become AIDS in around 8 to 10 years, according to the Mayo Clinic. People with AIDS are more likely to develop other diseases, causing symptoms such as sweats, chills, recurring fever, fatigue, mouth lesions, and weakness. Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, and around 13 percent of them don't know. In 2022, an estimated 31,800 people acquired HIV in the U.S., with the highest rates in the South. Following her diagnosis, Comstock was given only 2 years to live and told to "get [her] affairs in order" before she passed. "It definitely makes you live life to the fullest," she said. "I did what I wanted to do. I joined the military, in a large part to be able to afford college. But then I thought, why bother? I won't live to graduate, so I'd rather not spend my time studying. By my 40s, I went to college and graduated cum laude with a degree in history. I've never done anything by halves since my diagnosis. I give my full self to everything and everyone I am involved with." She's been taking ART (antiretroviral therapy) since 1997, which prevents the disease from transmitting if there's an undetectable viral load. In 1994, Comstock met her second husband who was HIV negative. She dreaded having to tell him that she has AIDS, assuming he'd walk away before their relationship even got started. "Instead, he said he didn't care if we had 2 years or 20," Comstock said. Ultimately, they had 30 wonderful years together and Comstock welcomed three children, all HIV negative. When they vowed to love each other in sickness and in health, they both truly meant it. "I ended up being the one taking care of him after he had an aortic dissection in 2007. I took care of him through two open heart surgeries and 17 years of bad health. You just never know how life is going to work out," Comstock told Newsweek. "My husband and I always wanted to travel. It wasn't always easy when my husband was sick, but we always said we could be sick at home, or sick somewhere exciting." Jennifer Comstock with her second husband on vacation. Jennifer Comstock with her second husband on vacation. @positivejen / TikTok Life has thrown many challenges at Comstock, but she's remained resilient. In recent years, Comstock sadly lost her husband and son (both unrelated to HIV). She's battled many illnesses, but her health is much better now, and the disease is undetectable. Her immune system was severely damaged before ART medication became available. Indeed, if that breakthrough didn't occur when it did, Comstock thinks she "wouldn't have made it" because she was incredibly sick. There were complications at first, including cardiomyopathy, heart failure, pneumonia and mini strokes, but Comstock isn't certain if they were caused by HIV or the medication. "Some of those early meds were much harsher than the newer ones," she said. Despite being told she only had two years left, Comstock has gained a college degree, started a family, and become a qualified travel advisor. Jennifer Comstock with her second husband while traveling the world. Jennifer Comstock with her second husband while traveling the world. @positivejen / TikTok Comstock has been living with AIDS for 35 years and no longer feels like she has to live in secret. She stayed silent to protect her children, but now that they're grown up, she is using her voice to educate and raise awareness. She created a TikTok account (@positivejen) to discuss her diagnosis, answer questions, and to break the stigma. "I am here and so many are not," she said. "Someone needs to speak up, especially for women. I want people to understand that people living with HIV are normal. We have kids, husbands, careers, full lives. HIV is something we have, not who we are. HIV doesn't define me." She added: "I have people from all over the world contacting me for advice. So many are just happy to see someone like me living a normal life. I often have to correct people posting misinformation. AIDS denialism is still alive and well—it's not like 1990, but it's still there." Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Let us know via health@ We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
