This Gold Star Mother Has A Heart of Gold
Ten years ago, Gold Star mother Jo-Ann Clark of Stratham lost her son to suicide.
Army Specialist Christopher “Chris” Journeau had just returned home from serving a year in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He took his own life just six months later.
Jo-Ann was devastated by the loss of her only child. While she had noticed a change in her son upon his return home, she hadn’t realized that these were signs of a serious disorder: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD.
In the aftermath of her son’s death, she realized that the symptoms of PTSD are often overlooked — and she wondered how many other veterans were suffering in silence.
Later, Jo-Ann learned about the benefits of companion animals for people who suffer from PTSD. However, it bothered her that veterans had to jump through hoops in order to finalize a pet adoption.
So Jo-Ann decided to start an organization in her son’s name to pair veterans with a free pet. She hoped this would help veterans more easily deal with PTSD and heal from their emotional scars. She also hoped that this program could help save their lives.
Chris’ Pets for Vets helps to make it easier for veterans to adopt companion animals from their local shelters in a number of ways, including covering pet adoption fees to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier for any veteran. Since the organization’s founding in 2015, Jo-Ann has helped approximately 400 veterans adopt companion animals from shelters all over New Hampshire.
Despite personal health concerns, Jo-Ann has invested an incredible amount of her time and energy into making Chris’ Pets for Vets a success and helping as many veterans as she can. This determination has helped hundreds of veterans better deal with the confusion and despair that accompanies PTSD.
Jo-Ann’s commitment is part of the Granite State’s long tradition of supporting our service members and veterans. Through Chris’ Pets for Vets, she’s both honoring her son’s memory and making a real difference in veterans’ lives. That’s why I’m proud to recognize her as November’s Granite Stater of the Month.
Do you know a Granite Stater who should be next month’s Granite Stater of the Month? Nominate them here.
