The Horse that saved Cpl Lopez

The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man...or woman. The following story was sent to me with the request to give it some more traction. This is yet another group standing up to help our wounded and traumatized veterans, and using horses to do so. The article below is from the website Indiegogo which is a fund raising site for good causes. If you go to the site and can't find the "The Horse That Save Cpl Lopez" article, then type Cpl Lopez in the search box and it should take you to it. The article below is directly from the website.




Today, right now, more active military are dying by their own hand than from the hostile actions of our enemies. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is largely responsible for this epidemic of suicides.

Trauma and Resiliency Resources, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, has provided on-line resources and referrals to NYC's First Responder community since the events of 9/11. TRR's Founder and Director has provided individual trauma treatment to first responders, warriors, veterans and their families as a private clinician since 9/11. Treating combat and line of duty traumas has saved lives and continues to do so.

In November, TRR's Warrior Camp® will host 12 active military combat veterans suffering from PTSD in a pilot program. They'll receive a regimen of proven 1:1 trauma treatments free of charge. One of these treatments is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. It's amazing to watch the connection made between human and horse and to see the healing begin. Please watch the video, you'll start to understand how quickly the healing can start. It's an amazing trauma treatment and we want more of our wounded warriors to be aware of it and benefit from it.

Our documentary will get out the word about Warrior Camp®, recruit warriors with combat trauma for 15 future Warrior Camps and raise funds so the mission of healing can continue -- and grow. It will be distributed to the U.S. Department of Defense, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, veteran organizations, community groups, Defense Centers of Excellence, corporations and the news media.

Your generosity can help Warrior Camp® save lives. And deliver a message of hope to our heroes and to the people who love them.

What We Need and What You Get

We are not a production company. We're primarily a media/creative services company. We are providing fundraising services and marketing support for this project at no cost. On the back end of the project we will be providing marketing services at no cost. We are hiring a cameraperson and sound person and renting equipment. Donations will cover two days' travel Chicago/New Hampshire for four people and their 5 days on location at Warrior Camp®. It will cover our out-of-pocket costs for 21 days of post production, DVD production duplication, packaging and postage. Additionally it will permit TRR to execute its own marketing program to recruit military combat veterans with PTSD for future camps and to solicit funds to continue and grow the free-to-attendees program. It will reimburse TRR for Indiegogo processing fees as well. If we are fortunate enough to exceed our goal, all extra funds will be used by TRR in support of warrior programs.

There are four perks for donors. A commemorative grey Warrior Camp tee, to the next level of donors, the tee and a copy of the final DVD. Individuals and companies donating at a specific level will be acknowledged on the DVD. The first three individuals who donate $2500 or more will have a portrait done by Chicago Artist, retired U.S. Navy MM Anton Mackey. If you happen to be a horse owner, it's a perk you can hang on your living room wall and enjoy for years.

The Impact

"Support our men and women in uniform" is a battle cry that too often doesn't deliver actual support. Fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, children and neighbors and friends have survived IEDs and RPGs but are losing the way because of PTSD. We have to make them aware that there's hope. We have to make them aware that there are treatments that can restore their emotional health. We have to make them aware that this help is free. They have given so much. They answered when duty called. Now they're calling for our help. We have to answer.

Personally I've done projects like this before. I wrote and produced a video which helped raise $7.5M for the Archdiocese of Chicago's St. Mary's of the Lake Mundelein Seminary. We did a pro bono video for Heal Our Warriors out of Frankfort, Michigan. Our videos have helped clients raise funds for the USO and for various Wounded Warrior Rides to Recovery.

Other Ways You Can Help

Money's tight for everyone. And there are a lot of important causes worth your consideration. I hope you'll help us achieve these goals. At the very least, please share our information with others. Place it on your Facebook page. Tweet it to your friends. Email it to family. Let your company know what we're doing and see if they'll help. If you've read this far, you're wonderful. It's a lot of words. Please take the next step and help us out.