What’s up everyone. My name is TJ, co-founder of LEEs Heart. I’m a US Army veteran and first responder.

I feel especially drawn to this line of work like most of my colleagues. For me, the pull began when I was 4 years old and was involved in a multiple fatality car accident. My 1-year-old sister and I were airlifted from the scene to a trauma center where we were treated for our injuries. From then on it only makes sense that a series of life events would steer me in the direction of becoming a paramedic.

Each one of us has a story of the how and why of becoming caregivers. But each one of us started with the intention of being a light in a dark place. A figure of hope in someone else’s tragedy. As one of my favorite teammates has said, we want to be the best part of your worst day. This line of work is an absolute privilege. To bear witness to the spectrum of human experience from the joy of delivering a child into the world to delivering news that a loved one has passed is a sobering reminder of the inevitability of our path’s end. Although privileged or not, the job and the life take a toll and with LEEs Heart I want to lighten the burden on my fellow veterans and first responders.

Abraham and I started LEEs Heart with a vision to serve our fellow first responders and veterans. The foundation is named for Abe’s late friend Lee Gonzales, a marine veteran in the pipeline to become a mental health professional. As you are most likely aware both the veteran and first responder demographics are at higher risk of a wide range of maladies due to shift work hours, stress and lack of social support networks. It remains true that veterans and first responders are at a higher risk for suicide than compared to the public. Our aim is to provide community and haven for these groups of people and establish networks of veterans and first responders to connect and recreate.