Together We Can Help

What kind of person would fly across the country to help a bunch of strangers...then keep flying every single month? Weird? yep. Creepy? maybe. Explainable? I'll try.

Over 2 years ago now I flew down to Parkland because an MSD alumni asked if I'd make a custom wooden MSD memorial American Flag for the school. I did, I flew it down, then I tried to leave, but my three day trip to simply deliver a flag turned into three weeks of explaining how my service dog Cooper helps me to an entire community-through a series of events. 

So why return? Why have a gofundme (that I don't even feel comfortable having in the first place) to help me pay for trips to a location I didn't even know of prior to February 14, to help on my own time? 

Because. Of. My People. My students. My families. My staff. My first responders. My nurses & ER docs, my siblings of victims and gunshot survivors, my parents, my badges, my people. 

Because over the past 2 years this community became my new friends, my prayer list, my lunch dates, my panic attack navigators, my hand holders, my laugh til we cry and cry til we sleep crew, my text messages of help, my no questions asked phone calls. My people. My family.

I fly down because: they ask me to. Because I listen without judgement, and answer without bs. I am not afraid to tell you the truth, the same way I'm not afraid to love you either. The students aren't embarrassed to. be seen with me at school and trust me like a sibling, The parents see a military veteran and feel safe knowing their kids are with me. I help explain (to those who ask) how their brain is processing, what post traumatic stress can look and feel like, and remind them that there's nothing they can say that will shake me off. 


I don't have a college degree for this. I don't come with a clipboard OR expectations. I don't diagnose, I don't pretend to know more than I do, I'm not afraid to hurt with someone, I am not going to report anything said or record any of it either- *with the only exception being if a student tells me they are struggling with suicidal thoughts in which I make sure the parents know so we can get them the help they need*

But what I do have is years of therapy & help through the Wounded Warrior Project on my own journey of trauma. Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress in 2015 from a traumatic event that took place on my deployment in 2011 during my military service I have many miles of navigating this road under my belt.

I fundraise because I volunteer my time for this. My financial budget for a trip includes round trip flights, dog food for Cooper, food/drinks for when I take my kids out after school (gotta give those parents a break), food and gas for me, and the trips I take the kids on (yoga classes, beach days, picnics, dog parks, massage/beauty etc. anything that helps them with stress relief). 

I will continue to fly down until I am no longer asked to. It's that simple. I was made to help here, and if you'd like to join me in my mission to help serve this community I'd love to welcome you to my team. 

Don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, and thank you for supporting me & my mission in this chapter of my life.

Sincerely,
Marianne & Cooper
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