2 min read
You gave Kele his Service Dog, Luca, and ongoing support
For U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Kele, the transition following military service was overwhelming. “Going from the Marine Corps to the civilian world was an absolute nightmare,” he says. After serving as an infantryman in Afghanistan and Japan, Kele found himself struggling with PTSD, anxiety and depression.
“I wanted to belong to something that meant something,” Kele says of his service. “I wanted to do something that both my family and I could be proud of.” Although his time in the Marines gave him valuable leadership skills and some of his best friends, it also left invisible wounds that traditional treatments couldn’t heal.
The statistics are heartbreaking: Seven out of 10 Veterans will battle PTSD during their lifetime, and 20 Veterans die by suicide each day in the United States. When Kele sought help, he was repeatedly offered medication. He says he got tired of being told to try another pill. “There’s got to be some other way for me to be ‘me’ without being medicated,” he says.
You showed him a turning point through your gifts to K9s For Warriors. You helped us match Kele with his Service Dog, Luca.
“K9s For Warriors, for me personally, has been a godsend,” Kele says.
With his Service Dog, Luca, by his side, Kele is reclaiming his life. “It gives the Veteran a sense of purpose again, knowing that this dog is counting on you, just as you are [on] them,” he says. Simple activities that once seemed impossible — like watching his son play football — are now possible.
For Kele, the impact extends beyond his own healing to his role as a father. “When I get home from work, I drop my stuff at the front door and I am home from work. I get to be Daddy and be there.”
Thank you for seeing the lifesaving potential in rescue dogs like Luca. Your generosity gives Veterans a powerful path to recovery, providing the unconditional support they need to overcome trauma and enjoy the lives so many of us take for granted.
