Stephane Marcotte served in the Canadian Navy for 28 years, 18 of which took place deep below the surface of the ocean in a submarine. For his remaining 10 years, he was above the water on ships and teaching.

In 2017, he was finally able to retire from his life of service, only to carry with him post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from various missions and the Gulf War in 2002.

For Marcotte, Remembrance Day is an opportunity to honour the lives of service people lost and express gratefulness for those that were not, including his own.

His life he said, he owes to the programs and resources provided by Wounded Warriors Canada.

As a volunteer and beneficiary of the organization, he is able to speak to the power of their programs.

B次元官网网址淚 retired in 2017, and ever since IB次元官网网址檝e been doing some volunteer work and more and more with Wounded Warriors,B次元官网网址� Marcotte said. B次元官网网址淚 talk about how IB次元官网网址檓 kind of living proof of what the program does. ItB次元官网网址檚 helping me, my mental health and helped me to procure a service dog and so I can go out and have a quality of life. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what Wounded Warriors did for me - they gave me a quality of life and a life.B次元官网网址�

He began working with Wounded Warriors because he said other things, such as psychology, were just not working.

The equine couples program helped him and his wife Susan learn how to communicate with each other to truly understand the other.

B次元官网网址淲e needed something to help us understand each other,B次元官网网址� Marcotte said. B次元官网网址淭he second course we took was a five-day course. It was an in-person attendance at Bear Mountain for five days. It was a couples COPE program - Couples Overcoming PTSD Every day. During that time, she could really understand what I was going through and she could understand me more and thatB次元官网网址檚 one of the reasons probably why we are still together.B次元官网网址�

A combination of joint and solo programs specialized for spouses helped build their communication skills, giving them the ability to truly understand each other even through the challenges of PTSD.

For the last nine years, the Marcottes have worked with the organization helping with the annual Wounded Warrior Run B.C., which goes the length of Vancouver Island to raise money for the same programs that saved StephaneB次元官网网址檚 life and the MarcottesB次元官网网址� marriage.

B次元官网网址淲e run between 600 and 700 kilometres in eight days to raise money and awareness for the veterans and first responders and their families,B次元官网网址� he said.

Not only did Wounded Warriors give Marcotte purpose and drive B次元官网网址� the organization helped him get his service dog, Sarge, during one of their events at Bear Mountain.

B次元官网网址淚n that event, they had a Vancouver Island Compassion Dog Society B次元官网网址� they are a service dog provider, they were there and I saw a dog. His name was Hunter, I bent over and he just licked my face and I just started to cry. I was so relieved. So then I said B次元官网网址業 need a dog.B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檇 never had a dog in my life. That day I put my application in and three months later I was starting the program B次元官网网址� that changed my life, me and my family B次元官网网址� my marriage. It saved my life personally, IB次元官网网址檓 still here because of my dog.B次元官网网址�

From helping him overcome anxiety to alerting him when his blood sugar is low, Sarge has impacted MarcotteB次元官网网址檚 life in profound ways.

B次元官网网址淗e can get me out of the house,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 can enjoy life outside of my house without always looking behind me to see if somebody is coming to hurt me. When I have nightmares from different events in my life and in service, he wakes me up and grounds me and thatB次元官网网址檚 a great tool.B次元官网网址�

The benefits of Wounded Warriors programs and events that Marcotte has attended far surpass just happiness and security. TheyB次元官网网址檝e ensured that he is able to be around for another Remembrance Day, to celebrate his continued fight in the face of PTSD and to remember those heB次元官网网址檚 lost B次元官网网址� both at home and abroad.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 one day we can remember what sacrifice all service persons did for us to give us freedom and liberty. ItB次元官网网址檚 not always overseas, we lose people here in Canada as well, so itB次元官网网址檚 something to remember them as well. A lot of people, theyB次元官网网址檙e gone too soon so we have to remember that theyB次元官网网址檙e gone for us and our children.B次元官网网址�

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