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Paws For Patriots
By Chris McNamee
Initially, the news that one-third of the recent graduates of Southeastern Guide Dogs have been military veterans receiving their guides through the school’s Paws for Patriots program may come as a surprise. However, the need for guide dogs to team with blinded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was revealed back in 2003 when a board member of the school read that the Veterans Administration does not provide guide dogs to soldiers. That realization gave birth to the Paws for Patriots Program, and since its inception, the school has teamed over 140 wounded soldiers with “The Gift of Mobility” provided by their highly skilled guide dogs all at no charge to the recipient.
General Tommy Franks was so impressed with the work of Southeastern, and their Paws for Patriots program, that he became an unpaid spokesman for the school, and recorded a Public Service Announcement to educate the public and military about the benefits and needs of guide dogs for wounded servicemen and women.
When I received my guide Max, I was fortunate to be in class with a retired Marine Corporal, Michael Jernigan, who was receiving his guide Brittani. Jernigan is the recipient of both a Purple Heart and a Combat Action Ribbon. He is a third-generation marine, and was proudly serving his country in Iraq when his Humvee was struck by a roadside bomb. He lost both eyes, suffered a crushed cranium and incurred severe trauma to his right hand and left knee, yet somehow he survived. “Brittani has been an essential part of my recovery process,” says Michael. “She is not only a guide, but she’s also a great companion when the world gets too difficult.” One of 10 wounded veterans featured in HBO’s Alive Day Memories documentary, Michael now actively helps other veterans in need.
Since graduation, I was blessed to attend a number of graduation classes at Southeastern. Last fall, the day after Veterans Day, I was privileged to hear the stories of Lieutenant Colonel Kathy Champion and Army Green Beret Pete Perez. Champion returned from her tour of duty from Iraq and discovered she brought with her a virus that destroyed her vision. She struggled with her lack of independence prior to discovering Southeastern Guide Dogs. Ironically she was paired with her guide, Angel; a pet name she called her children. Angel helped her to return to society, restoring her independence and purpose. She left the school with a mission to “pay it forward” and speak out to fellow wounded veterans about the benefits of the school’s Paws for Patriots program. She accomplished that when she was introduced to Pete Perez during an outing of horseback riding.
Perez was the victim of a bomb blast that hit his Humvee while on duty in Afghanistan and he spent the next five years dealing with migraines, insomnia, and depression caused by his vision loss. He had served almost 19 years in the Army, and was suddenly faced with a medical discharge from service, and a world of dependence on others. Fortunately, Champion encouraged him to visit the school’s campus in Palmetto, Florida and impressed him with her mobility and independence. Perez was paired with Lucy, a yellow Labrador Retriever. “I might have avoided a lot of problems if I knew about this program a long time ago,” said Perez. “I wanted to be more active but I see it as a constant form of therapy as well.” “Instead of taking pills, I can play with Lucy.” Perez can now enjoy evenings out with his family, activities that would have stressed him out prior to receiving his guide. “Simple things, you know? We like to visit parks. I just want to do all the normal, everyday activities that families do together.”
For more information about the programs, volunteer opportunities and how you can help Southeastern Guide Dogs, please visit their web site www.guidedogs.org [2], where much of the information for this article was obtained.
Chris McNamee has the degenerative rentinal disease retinitis pigmentosa. RP is characterized by the progressive loss of photoreceptor cells, rods and cones, which provide night and peripheral vision. RP is an inherited disease; his father has RP as well as a younger sister. Chris was diagnosed with the disease at age 28, and his vision deteriorated to the point that he was forced to stop driving six years later in 1993. He currently has a very small central field of vision, and no night vision. He travels with the aid of his guide dog, Max.
Copyright © 2010 REAL Magazine
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