As you may or may not know, I have had some personal experiences of family members with mental illness such as anxiety, bipolar, depression, addiction and sadly...death. I have witnessed first hand what can happen to a family if left untreated or undiagnosed, as these illnesses can go in a very bad direction quickly. This is something extremely near and dear to my heart.
On the professional side, as a firefighter, we have seen some extremely disturbing scenes. We have heard blood curdling cries, smelled decomposition, collected peoples' body parts, dove out of windows full of flames, dodged hypodermic needles - you name it. We signed up for this role to do everything in our power and training to help people during an emergency, but it does affects us. PTSD can and has lead to addiction with alcohol and drugs and many destructive behaviours. Getting the proper help and having resources to guide us within reach is critical.
I am asking if you can spare any amount to please contribute to this fundraiser. Donations are made online (find Tara Robinson), and receipts are sent directly to your email address. It really couldn't be easier to help.
Many thanks!
Tara
