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The brilliant way that one man is helping fellow veterans continue to serve others.

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Macy's

When he was just 7 years old, Jake Wood decided he wanted to help victims of war.

It started when he visited Mauthausen, a Nazi concentration camp in Germany where members of his family were forced to live during World War II. He saw the barren cells where people had once slept and the chilling areas where they were put to death.

As he looked over all the terrible aspects of the camp, he wished he'd been there to save people from suffering. In that moment, he decided to dedicate his life to helping people in distress — and that he'd do it by joining the military.


So in 2005, after graduating from college, he joined the Marine Corps and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

But when he returned home, despite having received awards for his many accomplishments as a sergeant, he didn't exactly find a long list of jobs that called for the skills he'd developed while serving.

The job hunt wasn't the only challenge Wood faced as a veteran returning to civilian life.

He went from spending 24 hours a day in a community with like-minded individuals to feeling isolated among civilians who couldn't relate to his experiences.

This transition has caused many veterans to lose their sense of purpose; the path they've been on for so long has ended, and they no longer feel like they're making a difference in the world.

But here's the thing: Veterans' skills are incredibly useful. They can be integral to so many nonmilitary-related situations, especially those that involve saving lives.

Wood got a huge reminder that his skills were still needed after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in January 2010. The quake killed hundreds of thousands of people and completely devastated Haitian residents.

In many places, survivors were left without food, clean water, and medical aid, but the damage surrounding them was too difficult for emergency workers to get through safely.

Wood, however, had faced dangerous terrain like it before. And he'd been trained to see his way through it.

Armed with skills he learned in the Marines, Wood headed straight to the heart of the disaster in Haiti along with fellow Marine William McNulty and six other volunteer veterans and first responders.

Jake Wood and Team Rubicon. Image by Kirk Jackson, used with permission.

The Haitian government and aid organizations warned Wood's team not to go into the treacherous areas that needed the most help. However, despite the risks to their personal safety, they continued on their mission.

Thanks to their persistence, they were able totreat thousands of earthquake survivors who needed medical support and other aid.While the task had seemed impossible to other aid organizations, Wood and his team had just the right set of skills to reach some of the most vulnerable people.

With that in mind, Wood and McNulty started an organization called Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response group.

Team Rubicon volunteers working during recovery efforts. Photo by Jeremey Hinen, used with permission.

During his experience in Haiti, Wood had realized that the instability and resource limitations following a natural disaster are pretty much the same conditions that troops deal with in Iraq and Afghanistan. Knowing how to work as a team, assess risks, and provide emergency medical care is exactly how the troops got through those conditions — and exactly what disaster zones need.  

So, with Team Rubicon, veterans work with medical professionals to bring first aid, supplies, and manual labor to help communities recover as quickly as possible after they've been hit by a natural disaster.

A member of Team Rubicon helps out after 2015 tornadoes in Oklahoma City. Photo by Kirk Jackson, used with permission.

They completed four missions in their first year in 2010, and that number has risen ever since. In 2017 alone, they carried out 61 operations. The number of participants has ballooned as well, from that small team of eight in Haiti to more than 70,000 volunteers in 2017.

The Team Rubicon veterans have brought this invaluable training to areas such as Puerto Rico, where they removed debris and distributed medical supplies to survivors of Hurricane Maria. In Houston, they rescued residents stranded by flooding after Hurricane Harvey. In places like Honduras, they’ve helped teach local paramedics cardiac life support skills. All in all, Team Rubicon’s work has helped saved countless lives around the world, and here in the United States.

Team Rubicon responds after a tornado in East New Orleans. Photo by Jeremey Hinen, used with permission.

And thanks to support from brands like Macy’s, they’ll be able to reach even more communities. As part of Macy’s July 4 Give Back campaign, you can get 25% off your purchase in stores or online by donating $3 at checkout. $1 of each $3 donation will benefit Team Rubicon by helping deploy 35 Strike Teams on domestic operations to help survivors of disasters over the coming year.

But you’re not just supporting a disaster relief organization. Thanks to Team Rubicon, veterans can come together and use their skills for vital missions, which in turn helps remind them that they're valued members of an indispensable team. It's also a chance for veterans to live a fulfilling life after military service, surrounded by empathetic colleagues.

Team Rubicon rescuing Texans stranded by the Hurricane Harvey flooding. Photo by Kirk Jackson, used with permission.

Working with Team Rubicon provides that feeling of community so many veterans miss once they return to civilian life.

It also reminds veterans that they have so much to offer after leaving the military. The organization reports that 78% of participating veterans who were previously deployed say they've developed a greater sense of purpose.

One veteran, Richard Bly, had been struggling with symptoms of PTSD before he joined Team Rubicon. Now he says his disaster relief work has helped him step outside of his comfort zone. Today he’s shaking the hands of people whose homes he helped rebuild, and making eye contact with them — something PTSD had previously made difficult.

“Homeowners thank us, and it’s great,” Bly wrote of his experience, “but the unspoken thing about Team Rubicon is most of us get more out of it than we give, even if we show up and give our all, day after day.”

Team Rubicon in Texas after Hurricane Harvey. Photo by Jeremy Hinen, used with permission.

And by supporting efforts like Team Rubicon, civilians can also help veterans make healthy transitions back into nonmilitary society.

For Wood, that lifelong vision of helping others never has to end. He's grown up to be the helpful, courageous man that his 7-year-old self once dreamed of becoming.

Salute those who serve by donating at Macy's to organizations that support veteran and military families from June 28th — July 8th.

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

True

It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

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A Good Samaritan thwarts an attempted bank robbery.

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Michael Armus Sr., 69, was waiting in line when he noticed a man slip a teller a note. The tellers looked concerned, and the man who slipped the note had his shirt pulled over the bottom of his face. The man claimed that he had a gun. It was a robbery.

Then Armus noticed something familiar about the man. It was his former neighbor, Eduardo Plasencia, 43, who was also his daughter’s friend.

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