Dustin Baerg

After a workplace accident on December 13, 2025 while trying to save a life, I was left with severe PTSD that WCB has accepted. On Saturday, December 13, 2025, I witnessed a fatal industrial accident at a neighboring business next to my workplace in Airdrie, Alberta. A man was critically injured in a violent accident involving glass and massive trauma. When I saw what happened, I immediately took action directing employees to use a forklift to release him, calling 911, then jumping into the container to begin first aid. I held him as he was dying, trying to provide comfort in his final moments. There was significant blood and catastrophic injury. Despite my efforts, he passed away. The Aftermath: What I didn’t expect was what came next. In the days following, I developed severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Autistic Regression. I’m autistic, and this trauma amplified everything significantly. I’ve had severe stimming episodes, facial tics, dissociation, multiple panic attacks daily, violent flashbacks and intrusive visual memories (blood, injury, his face), inability to sleep, and autistic burnout. My doctor placed me on medical leave for acute PTSD and psychological injury. I am medically unable to return to that workplace. Where I Am Now (April 2026 – Week 18) I’m a certified holistic nutritionist, former dedicated triathlete (now focusing on gentle running races), Monero/privacy advocate, and someone who built an entire warehouse management system from scratch. I’ve been doing the hard, daily work of nervous-system regulation, gentle body-led movement, exposure pacing, boundary-setting, and self-advocacy while protecting the safe cocoon I’ve built. Progress is slow and real: I’m still in the clinical PTSD range (PCL-5 33–47) but showing up consistently with the tools I’ve developed. Yesterday I took my first real self-initiated exposure — biking the old commute route toward the warehouse area. My system spiked hard and fast (8–9/10 in under 90 seconds), but I listened, turned around immediately, and spent the rest of the day discharging with stimming, bilateral movement, hydrotherapy, music, and grief processing. I ended exhausted but regulated and am giving myself the 2–3 day recoup my nervous system needs. The financial reality is still very difficult. The accident happened at my higher-paying secondary job ($50/hr), but WCB is paying me based on my primary job rate ($22/hr). That means I’m receiving only $1,998 per month less than minimum wage for full-time work and I’ve had to draw approximately $6,000 from personal savings to cover the $1,500 monthly shortfall. This ongoing gap keeps the secondary trauma alive while I heal. Any funds raised go directly toward basic living expenses and give me the financial breathing room to heal properly instead of being forced back before my nervous system is ready. Before this day I had spent 10 years overcoming everything from suicide in my teens to homelessness in my 20s. I went from an overweight smoker at 35 to a formidable triathlete and nutritionist at 44. Now that joy sometimes feels far away… but I’m committed to getting it back. Thank you for walking this road with me. Every donation, share, and kind word means more than you know. With gratitude, Dustin Baerg Airdrie, Alberta