Iraq Veteran and Family Face Homelessness
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Jayson is an exceptional patriot and a true American hero, both abroad and here at home. He honorably served in the U.S. Marine Corps before he decided to again, honorably serve this country in the U.S. Army as a Combat Medic during the Iraq war. Now a disabled veteran, injured twice, protecting the freedoms that all Americans cherish and love – a man dedicated to his country, his family, his community and God.
Jayson has been volunteering with the Inter-generational Reading Collaboration program (IRC) at Creslane Elementary School in Creswell for the past six years, helping kids in grades K-3 learn to read, as well as using his service dogs in the school’s special needs classes, which has been very fun, exciting, and inspirational for the children, parents, and staff.
Jayson has also logged over 600 hours as a Peer Mentor with the Lane County Veterans Court – the only program like it in Oregon, or elsewhere for that matter. He coaches other disabled veterans, with their wounds and trauma with his service dogs, to successfully reintegrate these wounded warriors back into civilian life, hopefully avoiding incarceration and/or homelessness.
Finally, the Southmayd family volunteer many hours each year to the Hope Restored Projects in Creswell, through their church, doing what they can to remodel homes and to promote a better learning environment for the kids and family.
The day-to-day care of Jayson, with the extent of his injuries and PTSD, is much more than a full-time job for his wife, Misty. He has had 48 surgeries to date and has extreme nerve pain – pain so intense he has vomiting bouts and has to be hospitalized. He has an implanted spinal cord stimulator that sends electrical impulses to basically outrace pain signals to his brain. Stress, anxiety, and uncertainties – magnified by the ongoing, beyond-unreasonable obstacles to getting their home repaired or rebuilt – are the big issues that have a tremendous negative effect on Jayson’s well being.
.....AND this is what lead us to reach out to the public, for assistance and to help with one of our own, local, Veterans....Jayson Southmayd!
August 20, 2020
*The following pictures were taken during the repairs.
My name is Jason Bush, Building Official for the Cities of Cottage Grove, Creswell, Veneta, and Coburg, with over 25 years of experience. Certified through the International Code Council (ICC) and the State of Oregon, I possess over 20 certifications as an inspector and plans examiner.
On July 6, 2020 I received a call from Jayson Southmayd, inquiring about building codes, safety concerns and the possibility of a home inspection. After discussing some of the issues, I explained that he would need to go through the Lane County Building Department, as his residence is outside of the City limits of Creswell. His initial concerns were troubling and unbelievable; rest assured, I’ve heard and witnessed many similar stories, and felt he had to be stretching things, so I agreed to stop by on July 8 to see for myself.
We walked the outside of the house and then toured the inside, as they pointed out issue after issue. Concerns grew when I observed exposed electrical work, as it was quite evident that the work was not done by licensed and bonded electrical contractors. By the end of the walk-through, I told the Southmayd family that I would discuss the situation with Lane County Building Official Steve McGuire to see what could be done to help them through the permitting process. Permits
were never obtained, although the question was posed multiple times.
During the unusual snowstorm of February 2019, oak trees broke down upon the Southmayds’ house in the middle of the night, severely damaging the roof system and smashing through the ceiling in places. By the time the family was able to regain access to their home, it had snowed an additional eight inches or more. It then rained, which melted the snow, flooding their home, soaking the interior and ruining many of their possessions. They stayed in a host of motels, rented a 23-foot RV, more motels, and finally a small house – all rented by the insurance company. The Southmayd family was forced to move 11 times in the 14 months it took to create the nightmare that persists to this day.
Construction repairs did not start until late September 2019 due to insurance challenges and delays, not to mention the uncertainties swirling around the Covid-19 Pandemic. The insurance investigator’s report was questionable as to the extent of damage, so finally, the Southmayds hired their own engineering firm. The differences in the damages and conclusions were extensive; however, the insurance company would not negotiate or honor any modifications to their initial “investigation.” Eventually, the licensed “General” contractor (not for electrical or plumbing) walked off the job and failed to return any calls.
As I started to tell others in the construction trades of Jayson’s plight, I was amazed at how fast a team of volunteer construction professionals in virtually every trade was eager to help. We assembled at the site on August 8, and upon further investigation(s) by our team and a detailed report by Oregon Inspections, LLC Owner/Building Official Jack Applegate, we concluded that the home might not be salvageable.
It is an old ranch house that has been altered and added on to
four times since 1942. It was evident something needed to be done prior to the winter season. But the one big hurdle we’re simply unable to surmount at this juncture is coming up with funds, materials, and a builder large enough to perform the construction work.
I would like to request a few minutes of airtime. Whether that be a short studio interview or a site-visit news story, it’s important that we get this story out there and reach as many people as possible. The stress, anxiety, uncertainties, and financial impossibilities the Southmayd family is going through must be horrifying and too intimidating to comprehend – especially alone, with little chance, at one point anyway, that anyone could or had the ability to help.
Jayson did not want to go to the extent of getting the media involved or setting up a “Go Fund Me” account until he read the official report and realized that his options are extremely limited, and that his family’s safety could be jeopardized in the coming winter.
But he does deserve a home – a home that is designed as much as possible to accommodate his military service-related disabilities, a home that will allow him to focus on necessary healing and self-care, and a home that is safe and secure for him and his family. He’s had his share of “camping” and pulling “night watch” on far-from-home battlegrounds; it’s unconscionable that here on his home soil he and his family have been enduring this traumatic displacement for, at this point, a year and a half.
Please take a moment longer to read an article I have included that was written by Gini Davis of the Creswell Chronicle in August 2019 regarding Jayson’s military service-related challenges, his service dog training venture, “Southpaws,” and his volunteer efforts. Jayson and his family are truly amazing. I am forever grateful that this combat veteran somehow found my contact information and decided to see if there was something I could suggest – which in itself was difficult for him to do. My life will forever reflect the Southmayd family’s compassion, humility, and humanity.
As Jayson was quoted in the interview with Gini:
“Maybe we can’t change the world, but we can change the world around us; in our neighborhoods, in our schools, people can make the decision to be the difference.”
I sincerely hope and pray that you will be as inspired as everyone else, and equally determined to help this man who has sacrificed so much in defending our liberties. I also drafted up some background information on Jayson himself, and have included it separately.
Yours in Building Safety,
Jason Bush, CBO
[email redacted].... New email set-up for this special Project.
Below is the article written by Gini Davis about Jayson Southmayd
'Paws-itive' service
Injured vet finds calling in dog training, volunteering Share
August 15, 2019
Gini Davis
So many good boys: Jayson Southmayd, of the new, Creswell-based nonprofit SouthPaws LLC, works with his personal "pack of four": (from left) service dogs Kimber and Arrabelle, service-dog-in-training Milo and service dog Canine.
After growing up largely in foster care, Creswell native Jayson Southmayd served in the Marines, and as an Army combat medic in Iraq. Seriously injured twice, he's undergone 48 surgeries.
An implanted spinal cord stimulator sends electrical impulses that outrace pain signals to his brain, and he was the first person in Oregon fitted with a specialized IDEO (Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis) carbon fiber leg brace developed by prosthetist Ryan Blanck.
He lives with traumatic brain injury and PTSD.
But Southmayd chooses to look ahead rather than back, counting his blessings – especially wife Misty and their two children – not his woes.
"After being injured and dealing with everything we've been through, it's easy (for injured/disabled veterans) to fall into this victim mentality and forget we're warriors," he said.
He doesn't discount the battles he and his family have fought since his return – the "war after the war" they've waged for his physical and mental health. But he's determined to make it all count for something positive.
Make that, "paws-itive."
The couple's business, SouthPaws LLC, trains service dogs to meet client needs. The vocation emerged unexpectedly but naturally from Southmayd's own journey.
"I really started this adventure by necessity, because the VA didn't want to give me a service dog," said Southmayd, who spent 2.5 years training his golden retriever Arrabelle, developing his personal training philosophy – think "early ('dog whisperer') Cesar Millan" – along the way.
"Dogs deal in energy, the emotion you give off," Southmayd said. Arrabelle "senses when my PTSD is triggered; she'll paw me until I notice her and pull me out of it, and wakes me up from nightmares by licking my face."
Dogs "have a higher emotional resonance than people do, so they almost always make people feel better," he added. "If you're stressed, they can calm you down and if you're depressed, they can give you energy."
Self-taught and intuitive in relating to dogs, Southmayd said it's essential that clients be actively involved in training, and spends time evaluating the dog's personality and whether person and dog seem well-matched.
"They have to fit into your life – not just as a service animal, but as a pet," Southmayd said, noting that good service dogs are "very smart, family-oriented, work-oriented, retrieve well, love having a job to do and are protective."
After each hour-long training session, client and dog practice what they've learned. Southmayd tests them the following week. If they pass, they progress to the next lesson; if not, they retrain on that material before moving forward.
"About 80% of the training is the person; only about 20% is the dog," he said. "I always tell clients that for the training to 'stick,' you have to become the pack leader; if you don't do it, (the dog) will do it for you."
Southmayd's own four-"pack" of service dogs includes golden retrievers Arrabelle and her son Canine; mastiff Kimber; and Milo, a year-old labradoodle donated as a puppy by Pam Spencer of Creswell and being trained as a service dog for a local girl – a nearly 2.5-year process.
Southmayd has learned that service dogs too sometimes come to their vocation unexpectedly and naturally: Canine was initially Misty's farm dog, receiving only basic obedience training from her during his first 2.5 years. "Then one day, he brought me my socks, and I thought, hmm," Southmayd said. It became apparent that Canine loved fetching and carrying, and he's now taken his mostly retired mom's place as Southmayd's main service dog.
Just as SouthPaws grew from Southmayd's life experiences, so does his heart for serving vulnerable children. The former foster child has been a Creslane Intergenerational Reading Collaboration (IRC) volunteer since 2016, reading to students with Arrabelle, Canine or Kimber by his side.
"The children have responded positively to the dog's presence during reading time, while learning about the role and function of service animals," said IRC co-team leader, Laurie Swanson Gribskov.
Kids also benefit from the dogs' emotional energy. Sweet, lovable Arrabelle "makes kids feel happy, like everything's going to be okay," while Canine "calms kids down," Southmayd said.
Canine's talent was ideal for Creslane's Life Skills classroom, where Southmayd also volunteered last year: "I tend to be put with kids with emotional/acting out stuff," he said. "I get that they're having a hard time; I've had a hard time, too."
Those "hard times" are not completely behind him, but Southmayd has worked hard to move beyond them and the negative memories and emotions they trigger. And looking around, looking ahead, he sees plenty to be "paws-itive" about.
"For me to be where I am right now, I never could have imagined – and the fact that (Misty) is still my wife is a miracle in itself," Southmayd said. "I never saw myself doing what I'm doing now with IRC and dogs; now I can't see myself doing anything else."
Gini Davis
Service dog trainer Jayson Southmayd accepts his retrieved wallet from Canine, his primary service dog.
Currently, new clients come to SouthPaws through word-of-mouth and client referrals, and sessions are limited to one-on-one. But the Southmayds hope to start a nonprofit and build a training center for group classes, behavior modification, puppy training, and therapy and service dog training on their property, once their home's extensive damage from February's snowstorm has been repaired.
For now, Southmayd will continue fostering individual client-dog partnerships, and delighting in watching those personal/professional bonds grow.
"That magic is why I do it," he said.
Well, that and a courageous resolve to reshape his own – and others' – reality for the better, regardless of the weight of the past or the obstacles to be overcome.
"Maybe we can't change the world, but we can change the world around us," Southmayd said. "In our neighborhoods, in our schools, people can make the decision to be the difference."
Jayson has been volunteering with the Inter-generational Reading Collaboration program (IRC) at Creslane Elementary School in Creswell for the past six years, helping kids in grades K-3 learn to read, as well as using his service dogs in the school’s special needs classes, which has been very fun, exciting, and inspirational for the children, parents, and staff.
Jayson has also logged over 600 hours as a Peer Mentor with the Lane County Veterans Court – the only program like it in Oregon, or elsewhere for that matter. He coaches other disabled veterans, with their wounds and trauma with his service dogs, to successfully reintegrate these wounded warriors back into civilian life, hopefully avoiding incarceration and/or homelessness.
Finally, the Southmayd family volunteer many hours each year to the Hope Restored Projects in Creswell, through their church, doing what they can to remodel homes and to promote a better learning environment for the kids and family.
The day-to-day care of Jayson, with the extent of his injuries and PTSD, is much more than a full-time job for his wife, Misty. He has had 48 surgeries to date and has extreme nerve pain – pain so intense he has vomiting bouts and has to be hospitalized. He has an implanted spinal cord stimulator that sends electrical impulses to basically outrace pain signals to his brain. Stress, anxiety, and uncertainties – magnified by the ongoing, beyond-unreasonable obstacles to getting their home repaired or rebuilt – are the big issues that have a tremendous negative effect on Jayson’s well being.
.....AND this is what lead us to reach out to the public, for assistance and to help with one of our own, local, Veterans....Jayson Southmayd!
August 20, 2020
*The following pictures were taken during the repairs.
My name is Jason Bush, Building Official for the Cities of Cottage Grove, Creswell, Veneta, and Coburg, with over 25 years of experience. Certified through the International Code Council (ICC) and the State of Oregon, I possess over 20 certifications as an inspector and plans examiner.
On July 6, 2020 I received a call from Jayson Southmayd, inquiring about building codes, safety concerns and the possibility of a home inspection. After discussing some of the issues, I explained that he would need to go through the Lane County Building Department, as his residence is outside of the City limits of Creswell. His initial concerns were troubling and unbelievable; rest assured, I’ve heard and witnessed many similar stories, and felt he had to be stretching things, so I agreed to stop by on July 8 to see for myself.
We walked the outside of the house and then toured the inside, as they pointed out issue after issue. Concerns grew when I observed exposed electrical work, as it was quite evident that the work was not done by licensed and bonded electrical contractors. By the end of the walk-through, I told the Southmayd family that I would discuss the situation with Lane County Building Official Steve McGuire to see what could be done to help them through the permitting process. Permits
were never obtained, although the question was posed multiple times.
During the unusual snowstorm of February 2019, oak trees broke down upon the Southmayds’ house in the middle of the night, severely damaging the roof system and smashing through the ceiling in places. By the time the family was able to regain access to their home, it had snowed an additional eight inches or more. It then rained, which melted the snow, flooding their home, soaking the interior and ruining many of their possessions. They stayed in a host of motels, rented a 23-foot RV, more motels, and finally a small house – all rented by the insurance company. The Southmayd family was forced to move 11 times in the 14 months it took to create the nightmare that persists to this day.
Construction repairs did not start until late September 2019 due to insurance challenges and delays, not to mention the uncertainties swirling around the Covid-19 Pandemic. The insurance investigator’s report was questionable as to the extent of damage, so finally, the Southmayds hired their own engineering firm. The differences in the damages and conclusions were extensive; however, the insurance company would not negotiate or honor any modifications to their initial “investigation.” Eventually, the licensed “General” contractor (not for electrical or plumbing) walked off the job and failed to return any calls.
As I started to tell others in the construction trades of Jayson’s plight, I was amazed at how fast a team of volunteer construction professionals in virtually every trade was eager to help. We assembled at the site on August 8, and upon further investigation(s) by our team and a detailed report by Oregon Inspections, LLC Owner/Building Official Jack Applegate, we concluded that the home might not be salvageable.
It is an old ranch house that has been altered and added on to
four times since 1942. It was evident something needed to be done prior to the winter season. But the one big hurdle we’re simply unable to surmount at this juncture is coming up with funds, materials, and a builder large enough to perform the construction work.
I would like to request a few minutes of airtime. Whether that be a short studio interview or a site-visit news story, it’s important that we get this story out there and reach as many people as possible. The stress, anxiety, uncertainties, and financial impossibilities the Southmayd family is going through must be horrifying and too intimidating to comprehend – especially alone, with little chance, at one point anyway, that anyone could or had the ability to help.
Jayson did not want to go to the extent of getting the media involved or setting up a “Go Fund Me” account until he read the official report and realized that his options are extremely limited, and that his family’s safety could be jeopardized in the coming winter.
But he does deserve a home – a home that is designed as much as possible to accommodate his military service-related disabilities, a home that will allow him to focus on necessary healing and self-care, and a home that is safe and secure for him and his family. He’s had his share of “camping” and pulling “night watch” on far-from-home battlegrounds; it’s unconscionable that here on his home soil he and his family have been enduring this traumatic displacement for, at this point, a year and a half.
Please take a moment longer to read an article I have included that was written by Gini Davis of the Creswell Chronicle in August 2019 regarding Jayson’s military service-related challenges, his service dog training venture, “Southpaws,” and his volunteer efforts. Jayson and his family are truly amazing. I am forever grateful that this combat veteran somehow found my contact information and decided to see if there was something I could suggest – which in itself was difficult for him to do. My life will forever reflect the Southmayd family’s compassion, humility, and humanity.
As Jayson was quoted in the interview with Gini:
“Maybe we can’t change the world, but we can change the world around us; in our neighborhoods, in our schools, people can make the decision to be the difference.”
I sincerely hope and pray that you will be as inspired as everyone else, and equally determined to help this man who has sacrificed so much in defending our liberties. I also drafted up some background information on Jayson himself, and have included it separately.
Yours in Building Safety,
Jason Bush, CBO
[email redacted].... New email set-up for this special Project.
Below is the article written by Gini Davis about Jayson Southmayd
'Paws-itive' service
Injured vet finds calling in dog training, volunteering Share
August 15, 2019
Gini Davis
So many good boys: Jayson Southmayd, of the new, Creswell-based nonprofit SouthPaws LLC, works with his personal "pack of four": (from left) service dogs Kimber and Arrabelle, service-dog-in-training Milo and service dog Canine.
After growing up largely in foster care, Creswell native Jayson Southmayd served in the Marines, and as an Army combat medic in Iraq. Seriously injured twice, he's undergone 48 surgeries.
An implanted spinal cord stimulator sends electrical impulses that outrace pain signals to his brain, and he was the first person in Oregon fitted with a specialized IDEO (Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis) carbon fiber leg brace developed by prosthetist Ryan Blanck.
He lives with traumatic brain injury and PTSD.
But Southmayd chooses to look ahead rather than back, counting his blessings – especially wife Misty and their two children – not his woes.
"After being injured and dealing with everything we've been through, it's easy (for injured/disabled veterans) to fall into this victim mentality and forget we're warriors," he said.
He doesn't discount the battles he and his family have fought since his return – the "war after the war" they've waged for his physical and mental health. But he's determined to make it all count for something positive.
Make that, "paws-itive."
The couple's business, SouthPaws LLC, trains service dogs to meet client needs. The vocation emerged unexpectedly but naturally from Southmayd's own journey.
"I really started this adventure by necessity, because the VA didn't want to give me a service dog," said Southmayd, who spent 2.5 years training his golden retriever Arrabelle, developing his personal training philosophy – think "early ('dog whisperer') Cesar Millan" – along the way.
"Dogs deal in energy, the emotion you give off," Southmayd said. Arrabelle "senses when my PTSD is triggered; she'll paw me until I notice her and pull me out of it, and wakes me up from nightmares by licking my face."
Dogs "have a higher emotional resonance than people do, so they almost always make people feel better," he added. "If you're stressed, they can calm you down and if you're depressed, they can give you energy."
Self-taught and intuitive in relating to dogs, Southmayd said it's essential that clients be actively involved in training, and spends time evaluating the dog's personality and whether person and dog seem well-matched.
"They have to fit into your life – not just as a service animal, but as a pet," Southmayd said, noting that good service dogs are "very smart, family-oriented, work-oriented, retrieve well, love having a job to do and are protective."
After each hour-long training session, client and dog practice what they've learned. Southmayd tests them the following week. If they pass, they progress to the next lesson; if not, they retrain on that material before moving forward.
"About 80% of the training is the person; only about 20% is the dog," he said. "I always tell clients that for the training to 'stick,' you have to become the pack leader; if you don't do it, (the dog) will do it for you."
Southmayd's own four-"pack" of service dogs includes golden retrievers Arrabelle and her son Canine; mastiff Kimber; and Milo, a year-old labradoodle donated as a puppy by Pam Spencer of Creswell and being trained as a service dog for a local girl – a nearly 2.5-year process.
Southmayd has learned that service dogs too sometimes come to their vocation unexpectedly and naturally: Canine was initially Misty's farm dog, receiving only basic obedience training from her during his first 2.5 years. "Then one day, he brought me my socks, and I thought, hmm," Southmayd said. It became apparent that Canine loved fetching and carrying, and he's now taken his mostly retired mom's place as Southmayd's main service dog.
Just as SouthPaws grew from Southmayd's life experiences, so does his heart for serving vulnerable children. The former foster child has been a Creslane Intergenerational Reading Collaboration (IRC) volunteer since 2016, reading to students with Arrabelle, Canine or Kimber by his side.
"The children have responded positively to the dog's presence during reading time, while learning about the role and function of service animals," said IRC co-team leader, Laurie Swanson Gribskov.
Kids also benefit from the dogs' emotional energy. Sweet, lovable Arrabelle "makes kids feel happy, like everything's going to be okay," while Canine "calms kids down," Southmayd said.
Canine's talent was ideal for Creslane's Life Skills classroom, where Southmayd also volunteered last year: "I tend to be put with kids with emotional/acting out stuff," he said. "I get that they're having a hard time; I've had a hard time, too."
Those "hard times" are not completely behind him, but Southmayd has worked hard to move beyond them and the negative memories and emotions they trigger. And looking around, looking ahead, he sees plenty to be "paws-itive" about.
"For me to be where I am right now, I never could have imagined – and the fact that (Misty) is still my wife is a miracle in itself," Southmayd said. "I never saw myself doing what I'm doing now with IRC and dogs; now I can't see myself doing anything else."
Gini Davis
Service dog trainer Jayson Southmayd accepts his retrieved wallet from Canine, his primary service dog.
Currently, new clients come to SouthPaws through word-of-mouth and client referrals, and sessions are limited to one-on-one. But the Southmayds hope to start a nonprofit and build a training center for group classes, behavior modification, puppy training, and therapy and service dog training on their property, once their home's extensive damage from February's snowstorm has been repaired.
For now, Southmayd will continue fostering individual client-dog partnerships, and delighting in watching those personal/professional bonds grow.
"That magic is why I do it," he said.
Well, that and a courageous resolve to reshape his own – and others' – reality for the better, regardless of the weight of the past or the obstacles to be overcome.
"Maybe we can't change the world, but we can change the world around us," Southmayd said. "In our neighborhoods, in our schools, people can make the decision to be the difference."
Organizer and beneficiary
Jason Bush
Organizer
Creswell, OR
Misty Southmayd
Beneficiary
