An amazing story, you have to hear this
Posted: 11/26/2005, 11:37 pm
I'd been following this story since it first started. Read this. Trust me.
Last week, a man named Christopher Taylor left a disturbing message in the comments on Matt Good's blog, saying that he had gotten home from serving in Iraq, and was planning to kill himself. He couldn't stand that he had killed people, and to top it off he got home to find out his wife had been cheating on him.
You can see his post, and the many replies, here:
http://www.matthewgood.org/mblog/?p=579 (second comment down)
As you can see in the comments that followed, Matt and some of the commenters on his blog banded together to try to find this man and hopefully help him. By tracking his IP and contacting the army directly, they were able to track him down.
Matt posted about their success here:
http://www.matthewgood.org/mblog/?p=587
Turns out the story was more complex. There were actually two "Mr Taylors", both from the same division of the army, both living in the same area, and both suffering from PTSD and considering suicide. The army had found a Glen Taylor, who had actually also written a suicide note, and got him in for evaluation and observation before he did anything.
You can read about the full story and the outcome here:
http://www.matthewgood.org/mblog/?p=592
These events have now sent into motion a new study which will hopefully lead to a whole new program for the US army to offer assistance for all soldiers returning from duty. It turns out that the affects of PTSD are more widespread than the army perhaps thought, and now something is being done about it.
Were it not for Matt's Blog, and the compassion and determination of himself and his community, this would not have happened. Two lives would have been lost, and we can't even begin to imagine the number that may be saved with the implementation of this study and, hopefully, a much better treatment program within the army itself.
I'm personally absolutely amazed about this whole story. It seems surreal... I can't even put to words how amazing it is that Matt and his blog community came together like this to help him. It really says something about the power of human compassion, not to mention Matt's connection to his fans.
In the end, I'm really touched by this tangible message of hope in the face of something more dire than any of us could imagine. It really puts things into perspective.
Last week, a man named Christopher Taylor left a disturbing message in the comments on Matt Good's blog, saying that he had gotten home from serving in Iraq, and was planning to kill himself. He couldn't stand that he had killed people, and to top it off he got home to find out his wife had been cheating on him.
You can see his post, and the many replies, here:
http://www.matthewgood.org/mblog/?p=579 (second comment down)
As you can see in the comments that followed, Matt and some of the commenters on his blog banded together to try to find this man and hopefully help him. By tracking his IP and contacting the army directly, they were able to track him down.
Matt posted about their success here:
http://www.matthewgood.org/mblog/?p=587
Turns out the story was more complex. There were actually two "Mr Taylors", both from the same division of the army, both living in the same area, and both suffering from PTSD and considering suicide. The army had found a Glen Taylor, who had actually also written a suicide note, and got him in for evaluation and observation before he did anything.
You can read about the full story and the outcome here:
http://www.matthewgood.org/mblog/?p=592
These events have now sent into motion a new study which will hopefully lead to a whole new program for the US army to offer assistance for all soldiers returning from duty. It turns out that the affects of PTSD are more widespread than the army perhaps thought, and now something is being done about it.
Were it not for Matt's Blog, and the compassion and determination of himself and his community, this would not have happened. Two lives would have been lost, and we can't even begin to imagine the number that may be saved with the implementation of this study and, hopefully, a much better treatment program within the army itself.
I'm personally absolutely amazed about this whole story. It seems surreal... I can't even put to words how amazing it is that Matt and his blog community came together like this to help him. It really says something about the power of human compassion, not to mention Matt's connection to his fans.
In the end, I'm really touched by this tangible message of hope in the face of something more dire than any of us could imagine. It really puts things into perspective.
it's reading things like these that make me think people in general aren't selfish and mindless jerks all the time.
