Military service is all in the family for Tony Shaw and his wife of 31 years, Adrianne. Tony was enlisted in the Navy, transitioned to Navy ROTC, and was commissioned an officer in the Marine Corps where he served for 18 years. Adrianne’s father also served in the Air Force for three decades, and their son attended the Naval Academy.

For all these fine records of service, it may come as a surprise that this Healing4Heroes service dog belongs to Adrianne.

Adrianne was involved in a car accident, which resulted in a seizure disorder as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which is especially triggered by situations in the car. Feeling “alone and disabled,” her quiet anxiety was affecting her job, her family life, and even her communication with doctors. So the couple independently acquired Adrianne’s service dog, Wren, and had him trained through the Healing4Heroes network in Atlanta, Georgia.

Eligibility for Healing4Heroes can include the spouses of qualifying veterans, a fact that the Shaws want to publicize. “I actually talk to people about Healing4Heroes all the time,” Adrianne laughs. “Especially [to people] who I know might have the opportunity to work with Healing4Heroes.”

Adrianne’s service dog has been a great resource for their family. “Holding on to Wren just makes me feel safe,” she reports. Wren provides Adrianne with assistance in walking and standing during physical therapy, seizure detection, and breaking Adrianne’s fall during episodes. He also brings a sense of comfort and progress towards new goals. “I went from feeling lonely and out of touch with people, majorly depressed… to now wanting to find a purpose,” Adrianne says.

The Shaws speak as much about the Healing4Heroes community as they do about their “baby,” Wren. “That community really wants you to be included,” Tony says. “They want to empower you. They want to inspire you.” Not only the network of training experts, but also the community of military families living with PTSD, has made a special difference for Adrianne. She often makes use of the online resources for support and counseling: “Any question you have, you could put it on the website, and people respond. Any issue you have or question you have about how to do something better, you can put it on the blog or you could call anybody in your class and they’ll help you… Just being amongst people who are veterans and having the same issues — even though mine wasn’t service connected — you felt like you could talk about your issues and not be judged.”

Training Wren and planning for this new future also brought the couple closer together. Tony remembers the training period as “probably the most fulfilling four days that we’d had together as a couple since her accident.”

Healing4Heroes also helped the Shaws navigate the difficult social situations that arise from including a service dog in everyday life. From boarding a plane to eating at a restaurant, the couple says they have often encountered resistance and a lack of awareness about Wren’s important role. For example, Adrianne explains, “You can’t tell people [with a service dog] that they can’t take their dog into a buffet area. If I have a seizure and I drop over there, he can’t detect it.” Yet they feel well-equipped to handle these situations. As Tony says, “[H4H] did a very good job at explaining not just the laws, but how to handle the situation in a way that is not confrontational, but more educational.” Adrianne carries Wren’s record of training from Healing4Heroes and a copy of relevant federal laws with her at all times. She has even invited mistaken managers to make copies of these for use in employee training.

The couple says these situations are where it is especially valuable to be backed by an established and well-connected organization. “It’s a blessing to have a 501c non-profit behind you who keeps your information on file,” says Adrianne. “If you have a problem, you can contact them. They send your information out to show that he is a service dog.” This kind of corporate support, in addition to personal support, helps transition a family back into normal life.

For those considering the service dog journey, Tony wants people to know that “it’s healing for heroes, but it’s healing for families, it’s healing for friends. It’s healing in a lot of different ways... And when you read the stories in the blogs, it’s a real person. Those heartfelt and sincere examples of how the dog transforms people is just the biggest testimony I can give.”

Adrianne agrees. “It’s not just you,” she reassures. “You have a community that’s there.”

Visit https://Healing4Heroes.org/donations to help give hope to another veteran or volunteer your time if you’re in the Georgia area. Veterans can apply and get on the waiting list by going to https://Healing4Heroes.org/application. Special thanks to Signal 88 Security of Downtown Chicago for supporting the Chicago community through Healing4Heroes and Signal 88 Gives.