First Responder PTSD Support YEG

Hi  everyone,

I'm Lachelle Farris, and I think that living in Edmonton is pretty great. In the grand scheme of things, we are pretty fortunate and lucky to live in such a great city, province, and country.

In my opinion, one of the things that makes our city so great is the committment that our first responders make toward keeping our communities safe. They work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to make sure that we can live a comfortable life. They put their lives on the line for our safety without fail and without complaint. They do this selflessly, expecting nothing in return.

First Responders get into the profession because they have big hearts. They are people who believe  that all people are equal, and that fostering a sense of community is important.

Because they have these big hearts and care about what they do, they can be affected negatively by some of the things they see and experience on the job. We call this Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Nobody wants to experience PTSD. For First Responders, PTSD is a reality; their human hearts must collide with tragic scenes that we wish no human would have to experience. They take this on willingly, for the betterment of all people and the community.

We, as community members who have the privledge of being watched over by First Responders, need to support them. We need to raise awareness of the realities of PTSD. We need to create more programs and supports for First Responders who may be affected by symptoms of PTSD. We need to make sure we are watching over the ones who watch over us.

I want to raise money to give to a local charity called Mental Rescue (http://www.mentalrescue.com/)

Mental Rescue is a start up not-for profit charity that is working to develop more mental health programming and supports for our local First Responders. Mental Rescue was started by a YEG Firefighter who wants to be part of a solution for our Edmontonian Heros. Their site is still under construction, but I am hoping that donating some funds to their site and their very worthy
cause will help them a little further on their way.


What I'm going to do: I am going to be cutting my very very long hair in support of this cause. I have had long hair for pretty much all of my life, so for those who know me, this is pretty shocking!!!

I will give all funds raised to Mental Rescue.

I will donate my hair to Locks of Love (http://www.locksoflove.org/)

I will be a life-long supporter and proponent of the Mental Health Support of our First Responders. This includes Fire Fighters, Emergency Medical Responders, Police, RCMP, Nurses, Doctors, Hospital Staff, Dispatchers, Social Workers, and everything in-between.


This is for you, who give up your comfort and safety for ours. We are forever grateful.