My name is Blake Richardson. I served in the Marine Corps and completed 2 tours in Iraq and 1 tour in Djibouti, Africa. Like many combat veterans, I was exposed to burn pits and other toxins, indirect fire (bullets and rockets), human remains, and a few other unspeakable instances.
During my first tour in Iraq, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) hit right outside of our general purpose (GP) tent. I was sleeping at the time the RPG hit and I happened to be the closest to the blast and suffered a mild/moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). What people don’t know is that we put up sandbags as barriers around our tent 3 days prior to the incident and we had already been staying in the GP tent for a month or two! God was definitely there watching over all of us!
Upon getting honorably discharged, I went through TAPS and TAMP (Transition Assistance Programs), a weeklong program that is used to help make it easier for service members to adapt to “civilian” life once they exit the military. TAPS and TAMP provided resources and tools for us, but none of the information provided was local to me, except for the VFW, DAV, and a few other bigger nonprofits. Unfortunately, after TAPS and TAMP is over, a lot of service members are on their own and they don’t have a local “support system.”
When I got out of the Marine Corps active duty in 2008, I left with a long list of life-changing health conditions and very little support out in the "civilian" world to get me on track with my health. It was very difficult to find supportive businesses and non-profit organizations that could help me cope with my disabilities and get back to normal again. Because of my PTSD and TBI symptoms, it was EXTREMELY hard for me to walk into organizations like the VFW or DAV, as I felt like I didn’t belong and didn’t deserve to be a part of those organizations. I also didn’t want to “look weak” going in there raising my hand for help.
Starting in boot camp, most military service members and veterans will tell you that their drill instructor / drill sergeant told them to “suck it up and keep going” when it gets tough. In the Marine Corps, we were told to “embrace the suck”, meaning if the situation is bad, deal with it. We were trained to adapt and overcome as a “team” to complete the mission! However, once you leave active duty military, most veterans “forget how to be a civilian” and your “support system” that had your 6 o'clock (back) to help you complete the mission is no longer there.
I “embraced the suck” for almost 10 years of my life going undiagnosed and untreated for TBI and PTSD. I had just about given up on thinking there was a fix for me.
My health had changed so much that my friends, family, and co-workers started to notice, and I was starting to go into a downward spiral. I continued to deal with side-effects such as severe anxiety and depression, nightmares, dramatic mood swings, light sensitivity, headaches, ringing in the ears, fatigue, severe short-term memory, trouble concentrating/remembering, avoidance, and the list goes on. I hid my disability from public view, which is something that you SHOULD NOT do once you are out of the service or leave the fire/police department. The medical facility that I was getting treatment from had me on so many different medications that did not work for me. I felt like there was little to no hope left and that I would have to deal with the symptoms for the rest of my life. That was when I had to do something, so I went and sought help from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department of Veteran Affairs provided me with mental health treatment and medications to help with the symptoms.
After a few months of getting used to the new medications, my symptoms started to slowly decrease and I started to feel more normal again. However, the symptoms were still there and were slowly starting to affect my marriage and my job. After years of trying to figure out what other options I had available around me, outside the VA hospital, I went for a walk and told myself “I need to take care of myself and I never want to go through this ever again or see others go through this!” That’s what drove the creation of Help Our Heroes!
With a mission focused on identifying different therapies, and treatments with evidence-based research, working to help make those resources more accessible to our nations heroes through legislative efforts, and helping our heroes attain access to these resources, we strive to help those who served and continue to serve our country. We remain committed to giving veterans, military service members, and first responder communities a support system through outreach and by providing resources to our nation's heroes.
In late 2020, my life took a 180 degree turn and my symptoms were getting worse. At this point, Help Our Heroes was created and we were helping out an Army Ranger amputee get the appropriate treatment he needed to live a better, more active life. He had received medical grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to treat his PTSD/TBI symptoms that the drugs could not. Let me repeat that, hyperbaric oxygen therapy! It is not only for treating scuba divers or burn victims, but patients diagnosed with mild to moderate TBI/PTSD as well.
There are multiple studies out there now that show how HBOT works for most individuals that suffer from mild to moderate TBI/PTSD symptoms. Since going through treatment, my symptoms have significantly improved. I am now able to think more clearly without all the noise and have less anxiety/depression. I am more active, with less mood swings, social avoidance is gone, less headaches, and my short-term memory is getting better.
This is not the end of my story, as I made a promise to God and myself that I will continue to give back to our heroes, their families, and those smaller businesses that give back!
Here to help and to share my journey, so that others will hear and not lose hope.
Very respectfully,
Blake Richardson, Founder and President
During my first tour in Iraq, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) hit right outside of our general purpose (GP) tent. I was sleeping at the time the RPG hit and I happened to be the closest to the blast and suffered a mild/moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). What people don’t know is that we put up sandbags as barriers around our tent 3 days prior to the incident and we had already been staying in the GP tent for a month or two! God was definitely there watching over all of us!
Upon getting honorably discharged, I went through TAPS and TAMP (Transition Assistance Programs), a weeklong program that is used to help make it easier for service members to adapt to “civilian” life once they exit the military. TAPS and TAMP provided resources and tools for us, but none of the information provided was local to me, except for the VFW, DAV, and a few other bigger nonprofits. Unfortunately, after TAPS and TAMP is over, a lot of service members are on their own and they don’t have a local “support system.”
When I got out of the Marine Corps active duty in 2008, I left with a long list of life-changing health conditions and very little support out in the "civilian" world to get me on track with my health. It was very difficult to find supportive businesses and non-profit organizations that could help me cope with my disabilities and get back to normal again. Because of my PTSD and TBI symptoms, it was EXTREMELY hard for me to walk into organizations like the VFW or DAV, as I felt like I didn’t belong and didn’t deserve to be a part of those organizations. I also didn’t want to “look weak” going in there raising my hand for help.
Starting in boot camp, most military service members and veterans will tell you that their drill instructor / drill sergeant told them to “suck it up and keep going” when it gets tough. In the Marine Corps, we were told to “embrace the suck”, meaning if the situation is bad, deal with it. We were trained to adapt and overcome as a “team” to complete the mission! However, once you leave active duty military, most veterans “forget how to be a civilian” and your “support system” that had your 6 o'clock (back) to help you complete the mission is no longer there.
I “embraced the suck” for almost 10 years of my life going undiagnosed and untreated for TBI and PTSD. I had just about given up on thinking there was a fix for me.
My health had changed so much that my friends, family, and co-workers started to notice, and I was starting to go into a downward spiral. I continued to deal with side-effects such as severe anxiety and depression, nightmares, dramatic mood swings, light sensitivity, headaches, ringing in the ears, fatigue, severe short-term memory, trouble concentrating/remembering, avoidance, and the list goes on. I hid my disability from public view, which is something that you SHOULD NOT do once you are out of the service or leave the fire/police department. The medical facility that I was getting treatment from had me on so many different medications that did not work for me. I felt like there was little to no hope left and that I would have to deal with the symptoms for the rest of my life. That was when I had to do something, so I went and sought help from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department of Veteran Affairs provided me with mental health treatment and medications to help with the symptoms.
After a few months of getting used to the new medications, my symptoms started to slowly decrease and I started to feel more normal again. However, the symptoms were still there and were slowly starting to affect my marriage and my job. After years of trying to figure out what other options I had available around me, outside the VA hospital, I went for a walk and told myself “I need to take care of myself and I never want to go through this ever again or see others go through this!” That’s what drove the creation of Help Our Heroes!
With a mission focused on identifying different therapies, and treatments with evidence-based research, working to help make those resources more accessible to our nations heroes through legislative efforts, and helping our heroes attain access to these resources, we strive to help those who served and continue to serve our country. We remain committed to giving veterans, military service members, and first responder communities a support system through outreach and by providing resources to our nation's heroes.
In late 2020, my life took a 180 degree turn and my symptoms were getting worse. At this point, Help Our Heroes was created and we were helping out an Army Ranger amputee get the appropriate treatment he needed to live a better, more active life. He had received medical grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to treat his PTSD/TBI symptoms that the drugs could not. Let me repeat that, hyperbaric oxygen therapy! It is not only for treating scuba divers or burn victims, but patients diagnosed with mild to moderate TBI/PTSD as well.
There are multiple studies out there now that show how HBOT works for most individuals that suffer from mild to moderate TBI/PTSD symptoms. Since going through treatment, my symptoms have significantly improved. I am now able to think more clearly without all the noise and have less anxiety/depression. I am more active, with less mood swings, social avoidance is gone, less headaches, and my short-term memory is getting better.
This is not the end of my story, as I made a promise to God and myself that I will continue to give back to our heroes, their families, and those smaller businesses that give back!
Here to help and to share my journey, so that others will hear and not lose hope.
Very respectfully,
Blake Richardson, Founder and President