Yesterday I was inspired. I got to work with someone that I knew by name and reputation only. I listened intently as he spoke with one of the many vulnerable people within our city. There was something in his voice that went beyond the words that were being spoken. They came from a place that on occasion, we as Paramedics and EMT's forget about. I was in awe as he spoke quite directly, and plainly with our patient about their situation. This place that we sometimes close up and protect, so that we can protect ourselves, is called compassion, real, genuine compassion.
It goes beyond empathy, it goes deeper than just helping. Compassion is and was the driving factor that brought most of us into this business. Many of us, myself included, let that compassion slip away and it takes something special to remind us that helping people and compassion are the fundamental values of medicine. It is true that because of problems within the system and the tragedy we see we allow ourselves to become hard. We often let the people that abuse the system cause bitterness and then our compassion gets left out when we go to people that just need our help. This career changes us, and not always for the better.
I felt privileged to work with Dan yesterday and as I got to know him I learned another fact that increased my respect for him even greater. Many of you know this, but I had not put it together at this point. Dan is one of the founding members of The Sheepdog Lodge. The Sheepdog lodge is a not for profit organization that allows military veterans, as well as emergency first responders to come and stay there for free with their families. They offer a peer supported weekend away from everything that allows these people, suffering from PTSD, or other Occupational Stress Injuries, to focus on themselves, their family, and their recovery. This has been a tremendous undertaking. Dan and the other members of their steering committee have a true passion to help veterans and first responders recover from occupational stress and PTSD, and their role is an important one. A place that is safe, disconnected from the world. The lodge is heated by wood burning stove, there is no wifi, no television, and is your home for the 3 days you are there. Visit the website to learn more, and to offer help if you are able, http://www.sheepdoglodge.com.
Military veterans and emergency first responders choose to protect the public by offering their services, and in doing so are forced to see things that no person was ever meant to see. These events build up and take a toll on people mentally and physically. The Sheepdog Lodge is completely volunteer based, and the people are paired with a volunteer of the same discipline, someone that speaks the same language and can offer real support and understands their situation. Dan shared with me that The Lodge could use many more volunteers, his colleagues and himself offer up a short training program to help volunteers host families in the cabin for a weekend. The host is there to help, listen, cook and clean, while the person that is there focuses on why they are there. If you have a desire to help you can contact them through their website and they can help you from there.
The Sheepdog Lodge envisions a time when there is a nationwide community of veterans and first responders that are available to mentor and support other veterans and first responders. This statement copied directly from their website states it quite plainly. The vision for The Sheepdog Lodge is simple. Help each other to remain strong, healthy, compassionate and recover from the stresses that we face every day in our careers helping others. We help others because it is what we were built to do. The Sheepdog Lodge is finally a place that we can go when we are the ones that need help.
I would personally like to thank all of the staff and volunteers at the Sheepdog Lodge for their strong dedication to helping others. Please visit their site at The Sheepdog Lodge, read more about what they do there, and watch their story that appeared on CTV news earlier this year. Please share this post with your friends and families to spread the word about the Lodge.
