A Hero's Best Friend

August 15, 2021

Dear Mercy Medical Angels,

My name is Frank Torres and I am a retired Staff Sergeant from the United States Army. I served in the armed forces for nearly a decade. Over the course of my years as a Combat Medic Specialist, I have deployed to numerous countries in support of the overall war on terror. I was medically retired in 2016 due to some mental health and physical issues. These issues prevented me from being able to continue my service; therefore, causing me to have leave the military and move on to the civilian sector. This was not my plan whatsoever as I wanted to completely retire from the armed forces after twenty years of service. Going into the civilian world was something that actually terrified me and I did not feel as if I was built for it. The military completely shaped me and changed me in to a person that is completely different from what people in the civilian world are used to.

As I was starting my transition from military to civilian life, I was given a plethora of resources to help me along and to try and live as normal of a life as possible. But with PTSD, physical pain, and other mental health issues, this was going to be something that was incredibly difficult for me to do on my own. I exited the military while I was stationed in Alaska. I was given the resource of Shepherds For Lost Sheep through one of the transitioning resources from the Warrior Transition Unit while I was stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. As I looked into it, and after discussing it with my primary care provider, we came to the conclusion that I would benefit from a service dog. I notified Cathie from the organization and she told me what was needed in order for me to move forward with getting a service dog. I filled out the application and also got a letter from my primary care provider and sent everything to Cathie. After some time, she notified me of a dog that would be a great fit for me and she was absolutely right. His name was Baxter and he was a Great Pyrenees/Border Collie mix. I fell in love with him from the pictures and when I came face to face with him, that love grew beyond words.

Mercy Medical Angels played such an important role in getting me to San Antonio from Alaska in order to meet my companion. Not having to come out of pocket for such an expensive trip was absolutely a blessing and crucial. As I was transitioning from the military, money was tight because I was not actively in school receiving my education benefits from the Veteran Affairs and I did not have a full-time job at the time yet. Mercy Medical Angels completely covered the cost. Had they not, I would never have had the opportunity to meet Baxter and my service animal needs would never have been met. I am grateful for this organization for all they have done to get veterans to Cathie and her team in order to be paired up with service dogs.

I had Baxter for just under five years. Baxter helped me in so many ways and he got me through some of the darkest times of my life. When I exited the military, I was completely lost. I had no idea what was going on, my life went from purpose and structure every single day to literally nothing in the blink of an eye. Baxter was there with me the whole time. Before him, I would not leave my apartment, I became deeply depressed, and I even turned to alcohol to try and get through life as much as I could. Baxter gave me a sense of purpose, he watched after me, and he provided with the confidence and comfort needed in order to achieve my goals in life. Baxter allowed me to enroll in classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the Fall of 2016 and Spring of 2017. He went to classes with me everyday and he was by my side nonstop. I was able to attend my classes and I was able to focus and study well because I knew he had my back. Because of this, I finished those two semesters with an overall GPA of a 3.5. I made Dean's List both of those semesters.

After that, Baxter and I traveled across the entire continent driving from Anchorage, AK to West Palm Beach, FL. He was my travel companion and I could not have asked for a better one. He was absolutely incredible and amazing during that entire trip that took eight days. When we got to Florida, Baxter and I enrolled at Florida International University in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. Fast forward to December 2020, Baxter and I both graduated from Florida International University with the degree. Baxter was even recognized and received a certificate of completion and was named an Honorary Panther. During our time at FIU, Baxter and I were honored during several events. We were honored during service dog week at the university, we were honored at the Veteran's Day football game between Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University. We even ended up in the school newspaper because of how much Baxter has helped me to pursue my education. Although our graduation was virtual, Baxter and I were still honored and we were able to do a graduation caravan in which we got to simulate walking across the stage to receive our diplomas. Baxter was loved by everyone and anyone he met. He was and still is truly loved by me.

Baxter has been vital to my success and unfortunately I had to put him down due to him having stomach cancer. I plan on pursuing and furthering my education and attending Physician Assistant school somewhere here in Florida. However, Baxter is no longer with me. I know how important service animals are to the veterans that need them. Had I not had Baxter, my life would have been very different and I most likely would not have achieved the things that I have done.

Now I am in need of another service animal and I have been in contact with Cathie and Shepherds For Lost Sheep. Everything that they do and everything that Mercy Medical Angels does is so essential for our way of life. As most of us know, 22 veterans commit suicide a day and I know for a fact that these service animals help to mitigate that number. Although still high, it helps and these dogs become more than just dogs. They are companions, best friends, and most importantly they are family. Baxter was my boy and I miss him dearly, but the time we spent together and the things we achieved together are more than a lot of people achieve in their lifetime.

Respectfully,

Frank Torres

68W3P

US Army (SSG Ret)

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