No One Left Behind

Inspiration

This song was inspired by the strong bad ass women that I have have surround myself with, I had  started my show The Unstoppable Network over  4 years ago to give people a safe space to share their story. Then I met veterans, and that changed my life forever. Their motto in the military is leave no man behind which turned into my catalyst to  help others and ensure that no body was left behind in being able to share their stories and to help others heal through their stories, and know they are not alone in their circumstances.

Journey

I have met some incredible women like Dr J Royster who is a licensed trauma therapist who started Semper Motis LLC. She was in the Air Force and between her career and her personal life, experienced a lot of trauma with suicides from her best friend and her husband. She was no stranger to how mental health affects people. She then decided to continue to serve but in a different capacity by helping those who have served with their own trauma.

She led me to Dr. Marion Constantinides who was in the Navy for 14 years in the arena of Emergent Battlefield Medicine. She has since used that experience and is now a licensed doctor of chiropractic medicine and founded the Axis Medical Center, an integrated functional medical clinic in Virginia Beach. She and her team have achieved an 80% improvement rate amongst all symptoms of PTSD within 6 months.

I then met Jane Babcock who served for 21.5 years in the US Army and Army reserves. She is now retired and has become the County Veterans Service Officer so that she can learn how to help other people navigate the VA system. She also volunteers and gives away her VA 101 resources every day. She will not quit until every veteran gets the help they deserve.

I also met another bad ass Dr. Kimberly DeVries. Dr. DeVries is a retired Army Master Sergeant and spent most of her career in the military as a flight medic on a Blackhawk helicopter and as a section chief within the recruiting and retention command. She now is an Area Operations Manager for the USO Central and South Florida. This woman is so incredible that her story makes me want to be just like her.

Then I met Maggie. She was an Army Combat veteran and served for seven years as a supply specialist deploying 3 times to the Middle East. Her last deployment ended when her husband Michael being killed on a mission while they were both serving in Afghanistan. I could feel her pain as we were interviewing her. She is one of the strongest women I know. I can’t imagine going through what she has gone through and she is still standing! She is the Vice President and one of the dog trainers for K-9 Line, Inc.

Lastly I met Leah Stiles. She is a retired US Navy Senior Chief. She served for 20 years in the Navy while managing an eating disorder. She almost died from her disorder and is now the founder of SEA WAVES, the nations first and only organization exclusively dedicated to supporting those effected by eating disorders in the military community.

All of these stories can be found on my YouTube Channel, : The Unstoppable Network – YouTube.

Personal Story

As a civilian, I personally have fought many battles myself. From bullying, low self-esteem, abusive relationships, and the suicide of my uncle, I too have walked through many trials and tribulations.

Women wear many hats. We are not just a wife, mother or daughter. We take care of our families, often losing ourselves to our family’s needs without even realizing it. We put everyone else first and we take care of them, all while working a full time job, taking the kids to their activities and keeping the house. Life can sometimes feel like a battlefield. Sometimes when we reach our end we are tired of carrying it all and ask for help. Often times we don’t know how, and this creates another problem.

By surrounding yourself with amazing women, we can manage the battlefield together. I pray this song helps you know you are not alone.

Come join us over here at The Unstoppable Network as we have many more amazing stories of men and women who have walked different walks and can help you get through your own battlefield.

With Love and Gratitude,

Dorothy O’Dell – Veteran Ally, Podcaster and Impact Catalyst