Tomorrow at 7am, Sgt. Rob Farrer of the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP will set out on a 239 km walk to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding post traumatic stress disorder.
Farrer will begin at the Vernon RCMP detachment and walk to the Okanagan Rail Trail entrance on Kalavista Drive. From there, Sgt. Farrer will walk along the rail trial to Oyama, around Wood Lake and back until he reaches his goal.
Farrer estimates this journey will take him over 60 hours to complete.
“More and more research is showing that the number of police officers with PTSD or related Occupational Stress Injuries is well over double that of the general public and sadly this often leads to significant decreases in quality of life of both the officers and their families,” says Farrer.
“While not always curable, PTSD can be dealt with in a positive way in order to achieve a meaningful life. The first step is to reach out for help.”
Courageous Companions is a service dog program that helps members suffering from long-term Operational Stress Injuries (OSIs), PTSD and other related issues acquire service dogs to aid in their recovery. The cost of acquiring and training OSI service dogs is approximately $25,000.
To support Farrer on his quest to raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health you can visit his gofundme page.
