Porchlight peer support group get first poppies
The poppy campaign officially kicked off across Canada Friday and in Nova Scotia, at the provincial command of the Legion, the first poppies were pinned on members of a trauma support group.
The group of serving and released members of the Canadian Forces call themselves Porchlight and they are bonded by the trauma suffered during military service that has caused illness or injury.
Nick Provost was medically released from the army because of multiple sclerosis and says the stress on Remembrance Day is too much.
“Some of us may not be in uniform so it's kind of a very sad day because we can’t parade with our comrades. Especially for me, I can’t put on my uniform and parade,” he said.
Porchlight is a peer support group organized by the Legion in Nova Scotia and is the first of its kind in Canada.
They have scheduled meetings in Dartmouth for not just members, but family as well.
Military wife Belinda Saunders-Walsh attended her first meeting Friday and says after three tours in Afghanistan, and Bosnia and Croatia, her husband has PTSD.
“My husband doesn’t think it affects me as it affects him but being the partner, it does affect the partner as well and the family,” she said through tears.
Former Leading Seaman Greg Swiatkowski was released from service after a PTSD diagnosis and says it doesn’t matter what branch of the service members are in.
“Trauma is a trauma. It doesn’t know what colour uniform you’re wearing,” he said.
The group has organized their own Remembrance Day service in private, away from the cenotaphs and the uniforms. But members say their military service is still in their hearts.
On the first day of the poppy campaign, Legion executive director Valerie Mitchell-Veinotte presented poppies to the group
“Thank you for all you have given and all you continue to give to this country,” she said to Master Bombardier Michael Drummond.
“It takes me a very long time to trust somebody,” Drummond said. “Unless I’ve been to war with you. Unless I've fought with you, then I don’t trust you.”
The Legion hopes to roll out more chapters around Nova Scotia early in the new year. Other provincial commands of the Legion are asking about it, but waiting for the Nova Scotia program to fully develop before starting their own.
