Plymouth Veterans To Host Spaghetti Fundraising Dinner For Freya

Stacey Sevener, is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Army, and is suffering from PTSD. During Stacy’s time in the army, he was often recognized by his superiors for being an outstanding soldier. While he loved serving our nation in the Army, he was ultimately honorably discharged for medical reasons.

After the Army in Stacy's own words, “For 7 years, 4 months, and 22 days I have never told the full story of my time in the Army to anyone. For 7 years, 4 months, and 22 days I have lied to everyone I have ever known, ever loved, and it's taken its toll. I haven't let anyone get close enough to hurt me. I haven't let anyone in enough to know the real me. I made my first suicide attempt as the repressed memories had started to surface. I was having nightmares every time I closed my eyes, I would go days without sleeping. I had 2 more attempts that summer before they finally locked me in the mental ward, and got me to confront my demons. I spent the following year homeless living in my car. I was unable to work, I could barely function in public, let alone keep to a schedule.”

This is when Stacy met some people who set him on a path to Freya. Stacy sought out a service dog to help him with his PTSD so that he could hopefully begin to resume normal life, and no longer look to suicide as a way out. Through service dog trainers, Stacy met Freya as a puppy and chose her out of the litter to train as his own service dog.

He goes to a training class every week to meet this goal, and he and Freya are really a team. She is now almost 2 years old, and as he says, “is probably the single most important part of my life. Over that time my life has changed drastically because of her. Because of Freya I started sleeping better, taking care of myself better. I started working with my VA doctors on a plan to get me working again, and I was finally able to go out and socialize with people.”

“This year I started Vocational Rehab, started going back to school to earn a degree, I met my girlfriend of 6 months, who loves Freya as much as I do. Freya and I do just about everything we can together. From simple tasks like going to the laundry mat, to grocery shopping, she even comes to the restaurant with me one night a week”

Right now, Stacy needs his battle buddy to keep him sleeping every night, getting up every morning, going to school and work, seeing friends, and hanging out at “their” restaurant.

Freya is very sick though. It started out as a simple stomach bug on Saturday the 12th of January. By Tuesday the 15th, Stacy had an emergency room veterinarian telling him that Freya was so ill she could die at any moment and needed immediate treatment. Freya had to stay in the vet overnight.

This wasn’t the first time Stacy and Freya have spent the night apart, but it was definitely the
worst one. He tossed and turned all night, had nightmares and was woken up because of screaming in his sleep. “I’m terrified to think about what happens if my best friend can’t get the help she needs.”

Freya’s condition is serious, and her veterinary estimate is between $7,000 and $10,000. It is breaking Stacy’s heart to think that cost might prevent him from helping his battle buddy after she has helped him so much. He is afraid for what his life might be like if he loses her. We can not lose one more of our veterans to suicide – Stacy needs Freya, and she needs costly treatment.

Every dollar raised will help Freya to receive the treatment that she needs to stay by Stacy’s side and continue to serve him as he battles PTSD. Freya is being treated at the Oakland Veterinary Referral Services in Bloomfield Township, and while she is being treated, our veterans are banding together to help pay for this treatment.

Our Plymouth-Canton veterans have banded together, and are hosting a spaghetti dinner on Sunday, February 17th, from 4:00-7:00 PM. The donation for this dinner is $12 (but if you are feeling generous you can donate whatever you are comfortable with) Plymouth-Canton VVA's very own DJ Koz will be spinning great music, and there will be raffles, an auction with great items, and of course, The Big Wheel will be spinning, and folks will be winning!

There is also a GoFundMe page for Freya for those of you who would like to help, but can't make the dinner. You can help out at this link: https://www.gofundme.com/freya...

Please come on out, and help Stacy save his Battle Buddy Freya, at the Plymouth VFW Post 6695...

Details:

Spaghetti Dinner – Sunday February 17th 4-7 PM

Donation: $12

$1 Pop - $2 Beer

Plymouth VFW Post 6695 - 1426 S Mill Street (Just North of Ann Arbor Road)

Questions: Call James Kendall - 270-889-3676