RALEIGH, N.C. — Katie Glynn got out of bed on Tuesday morning and put on a T-shirt spreading awareness about the veteran suicide crisis.

 

What You Need To Know

According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, any veterans who are in "acute suicidal crisis" can get free emergency mental health care at any VA or non-VA health care facility

Veterans do not have to be a part of the VA system

The department says the initiative will increase access to acute suicide care for roughly nine million veterans who are not enrolled in the VA

 

She was unaware of the latest news from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — that any veterans who are in "acute suicidal crisis" can now get free emergency assistance at any VA or non-VA health care facility.

“How can somebody voluntarily say, 'yeah I'm going to sign my life on this line and go and serve my country, but when I come back, be treated like, oh thanks for your service,' and not get the care that they need?" Glynn said.

Glynn served in the U.S. Navy for two years. Her service was cut short when she got pregnant with her daughter, Grace.

Today, Glynn is proud of the memories she made and the lifelong friendships she forged at sea. Although Glynn was never sent into combat, she remembers mental health concerns were ever present and says the isolation and detachment from civilian life took a toll on many service members.

“We had a few people on board the ship that if that if they threatened to jump overboard or told somebody that they were thinking about it, that they would be sent back," she said.

Preventing veteran suicide is a cause Glynn is deeply passionate about.

To also raise awareness and support, Glynn walked 22 miles on the 22nd of every month from January of 2021 to October of 2022 for every 22 veterans who commit suicide daily.

"The number of veterans that don’t get the recognition … or the help that they need is still way too many," Glynn said.

Glynn hopes the government’s new initiative reaches the people who need it most and says it’s a long overdue first step toward the many life-saving changes that are needed.

“It’s almost a gesture of gratitude because somebody else has gone and fought for the freedoms you have and to show them just how grateful you are," she said.

Glynn says she’s heard stories of veterans having to sit and wait at the VA and not get the help they desperately need. It’s why she’s hopeful this new initiative, which allows veterans to get free emergency health care at non-VA facilities, will make a significant impact.