One by One World Transformation
With seconds ticking to save a life, jets flashing overhead and helicopter propellers buzzing, U.S. Air Force Medic Chauntoyia Edwards always remained in the zone regardless of the chaos surrounding her on the battle grounds.
When the commotion was replaced by silence, civilian life became a different battlefield for her.
As a medic, the first responder’s purpose is to heal, but for wing woman Chauntoyia returning from the deserts of Iraq was not something sutures could fix.
“Where I come from, we do not suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] or face anxiety,” Chauntoyia shares. “The service did something to me, mentally. I could not sleep. For a week at a time, I would be lucky to sleep for an hour or two. I had this sense of impending doom, like I would not wake to see the next day because of all I was going through in my mind.”
Alone, at her lowest point, she resorted to decisions that led to what she calls, “life lessons.”
From attempting to keep track of multiple prescriptions bottles, loss of sleep, and tying the knot fueled by toxic connections, she felt as if she was a walking zombie.
Feeling as if she was being pulled apart, she takes a deep breath and says, “I could not get comfortable. I remember not wanting to be here anymore. When I got to that place, God put a life in my body. I got pregnant when I felt lifeless.”
The moment of realization of the miracle of her daughter was when she woke up from her zombie phase and sought out support for her mental wellbeing.
At her lowest point she became her strongest. Serving as a Peer Specialist for the West Palm Beach VA, she believes that her life experiences are a testimony to support her service to her fellow brothers and sisters.
She says, “I believe that what we go through in life is always for someone else and if they can look at you and see that you can make it or know you went through all this stuff and it looks like you walk through fire, then that gives me hope too. And that's what this job is about.”
Veteran to Veteran, Chauntoyia is able to provide a safe, but more importantly, relatable space for Veterans seeking mental health support.
This space is a journey of transformation and celebration that empowers Veterans to see someone who also laced up combat boots and made it out on the other side.
Going from a unit of crew members to a home of what can feel like confined walls tends to lead to isolation among Veterans. This suffering can bring mental health challenges and a stigma hard to face or better yet break.
With tears of joy she expresses, “What I do is beyond rewarding because everything that I've been through was not in vain, like it has purpose and I see it now as a tool to support Veterans and their mental health. I remind them [Veterans] that you deserve a life you desire, that they deserve to be happy and loved. I may not be in the military anymore, but I am still your wing woman.”
From a place of victory, not from a place of being a victim, Veteran Chauntoyia empowers Veterans to show up for themselves during each session.
As Veterans get back on their feet, she says, “I support Veterans in recovering what was once stolen from them, like it was once from me. To me, we are all peers – this is what it is all about. I am your [Veteran patient] biggest advocate and so is the VA. If Veterans show up, we will provide. The VA doesn't give up on you and you shouldn't give up on the VA.”
As the Veteran and Peer Specialist puts it best- “We help PTSD Veterans show up in life for themselves and for those they lost, and it just keeps going. You know, it's almost like a world transformation, one person at a time.”
From peer to peer, Veteran to Veteran, sacrifice stops once a Veteran returns home, discover this in the arms of the VA.
Learn more on about the unique offerings for PTSD Veterans: Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members (PAWS) | VA West Palm Beach Health Care | Veterans Affairs.