Jessica and K-9 Ember

My name is Jessica, and I’ve been a volunteer firefighter for just over 6 years, and an elementary art teacher for 8 years. I grew up in Minnesota with my parents and our family Golden Retrievers, Ginger and Nica. I played sports all throughout my childhood, and played softball in college as well. Outside of work, I spend my time riding my Arabian horse Caesar, and with my dog Ember. I am an avid bowhunter, fisher, and gardener, and my family spends most weekends in the summer and fall up at our cabin. Caesar and I are park patrollers, so we help people with directions and give medical assistance when needed on our rides.
In 2018, I was called to join the Hamel Fire Department and serve my community, which is now the West Suburban Fire District. Firefighting has always been a huge part of my life, and I decided to follow in the footsteps of my dad and grandpa, carrying on the family legacy. It is a job like no other, and it comes with so many ups and downs. We have to see and do things most people will never have to experience, and it takes a toll. Despite that, I love being a firefighter and it’s the best job in the world.
I’ve always had a little bit higher levels of anxiety than most people, but it was always manageable and I thought it was just who I was. Then Covid threw a wrench in my life and I haven’t been the same since. The initial panic and fear left a lasting impact and because of that, my anxiety worsened and I developed obsessive compulsive disorder. Being on the front lines as a firefighter and teacher, both contributed to my anxiety and OCD. I still sometimes struggle with going to medical calls because they can trigger that anxiety and OCD depending on what the call is. I suffered through it on my own for two years, feeling like I was broken, couldn’t be fixed, in denial that I needed help. I struggled to find happiness in anything other than my horse and dog.
I probably wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my horse Caesar, my dog Nica, and the support of my family. Anxiety and OCD are very isolating and it’s hard for others to understand what’s going on. I finally decided to start seeing a therapist when I hit my lowest point and I couldn’t take it anymore. It helped a great deal, but I was still struggling. A year after I started therapy, I went to my doctor and was prescribed medication. It helps to an extent, but I’d rather not have to be on it my whole life. I developed a new normal, but still struggle daily with both my anxiety and OCD, functioning at a much higher level of anxiety than most people. Most days I’m able to feel almost back to normal, yet other days the anxiety and OCD get the best of me and I can hardly get off the couch.
Animals have always been a huge part of my life. We got our first family dog when I was in third grade, a Golden Retriever I named Ginger. She was an amazing first dog, and passed away at the age of 9 from cancer, taken way too soon. A few months later we found our Golden Retriever Nica. She was my mom’s and my heart dog, so it was devastating when we lost her. It was right after her 11th birthday when she developed leukemia. I also got my wonderful Arabian horse named Caesar, a little over 5 years ago, the best trail partner and horse I could have imagined. After Nica passed, I quickly realized I couldn’t live without a dog to come home to every day. I found a litter of Golden Retriever puppies nearby and picked out a female. I was able to visit her and spend time with her from before her eyes were even open. I decided on the name Ember, I thought it was a fitting name for the dog of a firefighter.
When I found Ember a year ago, I had something new to focus on. Training a puppy was new to me, and I had a lot to learn. This past January, Rylie at The Spot started working with Ember and I on basic training. I learned about Soldier’s 6 from Rylie and Chris, and they encouraged me to apply. My first thought was that there were other people way more in need of a service dog than me, but in the end I decided to apply. I’m so thankful they both supported me and encouraged me to do so. I am honored to be a recipient of this life changing program, and look forward to my new adventure training my battle buddy Ember.