003 - Global Heroes - December 2020

Page 26

A HEALER, A HERO:

CAPTAIN MARY ANN BARBER ON

occasions like Remembrance Day, Canadians come together to honour the service and sacrifices of our many brave soldiers and Veterans who work in conditions that would send most of us running for cover. But the impact of war on those who serve is felt long after their deployment ends.

Captain Mary Ann Barber is one of those heroes. A passionate nurse and healer, the Sault Ste. Marie native’s time in the Canadian Armed Forces started in June of 1997. After graduating from the regular officer training plan, she started her career as a new grad nurse. Her first deployment was in Bosnia as a Critical Care Nursing Officer, where she assisted in the management of the Unit Medical Station in Velika Kladuša in 2002. Upon her return the following April, she began working in the ICU. In 2005, she was deployed 24

to Kabul, Afghanistan, as the Nurse in Charge of the Resuscitation department. “Nurses in the military were the first women in the military—the first commissioned officers in the Canadian military. They were these trailblazer women…there’s this incredible legacy of what it is to be a military nurse. I was pretty proud to be a part of that” —Captain Mary Ann Barber Captain Barber was deployed for two years in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and recounts her experiences there as heart-wrenching, yet incredibly rewarding. “During the war, everything came to us. It was a non-stop flow of mangled bodies for the time that I was there. It was some of the most heartbreaking times of my life.” She began showing signs of PTSD in 2008, and recalls experiencing nightmares and graphic flashbacks from her 2007 tour.

When she returned home in 2009, her mental health was at an all-time low. She was officially diagnosed with PTSD in 2009, but it wouldn’t be until 2012 that Captain Barber accepted the help that she needed and began doing the work to heal. “It really was an uphill battle, but it’s one that needed to be done. I didn’t want to become a statistic. I didn’t want my life to be what it was. I was really unhappy and I knew that if I wanted to be happy, it was me who had to change it. There was never going to be a magic pill, or one magic counselling session or one magic wave of some wand that was going to happen and all of a sudden my life was going to be better and my PTSD was going to be gone and that everything would be OK. It was an ‘aha’ moment like ‘OK, time to go. Off we go; start climbing this mountain.’ And I did!”

© All photos courtesy of Mary Ann Barber

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE


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Open to Serve You The Best

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page 104

FROM BEAN TO CUP: Equator Coffee Roasters' Sustainable Supply Chain

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HOLIDAY TREATS WITHOUT THE GUILT

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MAKE THIS WINTER BETTER WITH BEANS

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CANADIAN CHICKEN DELIVERING ON SUSTAINABILITY

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Sheep Can Help Mitigate Climate Change

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Flavourful Fungi: The Year-Round Harvest

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FEEDING FAMILIES AND NOURISHING SOULS

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FEED YOUR BODY, FEED YOUR SOUL

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Navigating COVID-19 in the GREENHOUSE Produce Sector

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The Spirit of Community: How Dixon’s Distilled Spirits is Making a DIFFERENCE

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Sparkling Ginger Pomegranate Mocktails

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HOME AND ABROAD: Navigating the Challenges of COVID-19

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A WINTER WONDERLAND IN NIAGARA FALLS

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A Flurry of Outdoor Fun in Canada's Capital

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CONTIKI LAUNCHES NEW LOCAL TRIPS TO REBUILD TRAVEL AND OFFER UNIQUE WAYS TO EXPERIENCE CANADA OUTDOORS

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The Green Beaver Philosophy: Goodness Inside & Out

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FEEL FIT AND FANTASTIC WITH THIS FAST HOME WORKOUT

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Health Equity in Motion

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BECAUSE OF YOU, I CAN!

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NOT ALL ANGELS HAVE WINGS

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Looking Good Feeling Better: How Aisha Got Her Spark Back

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You May Have to Make Healthcare Decisions for Someone Else—Are You Ready?

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Easy Tips For Healthier Kids

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A Gift That Warms The Heart

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Help A Local Family

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Life After Prison: Empowering Women Through Compassion

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Global Friends and Unlikely Heroes

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Cuso International believes in lasting results

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WHAT AN EXPERT WANTS YOU TO KNOW ABOUT VENTILATING YOUR HOME

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Shell Brings Carbon Neutral Driving to Canadian Customers

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NO COLD Outerwear brand Nobis helps the SHOULDER: most vulnerable stay warm

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GIVE BACK GIFTS THAT

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Animal Health is Critical to Ensuring Animal Welfare

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Inspiring Positive Change: Starbucks Sets Planet-Friendly Targets

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GUCCI highlights animal conservation efforts with pre-fall 2020 campaign

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Scientists harvest more eggs from near-extinct northern white rhino

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5 Ways Your Family Can Help Protect Marine Life

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The ROBOT DOLPHIN that could replace captive animals at theme parks one day

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SAVING CANADA’S ANIMALS FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

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AFTER TAKING ON PLASTIC, BALI SISTERS WANT BAR RAISED ON CLIMATE ACTION

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CELEBRATING LAND TRUST HEROES Working every day to save the land you love

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Cultivating a Lasting Legacy: The Future is in Good Hands

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A HEALER, A HERO: CAPTAIN MARY ANN BARBER ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE

5min
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A SURVIVORS STORY OF STRENGTH AND INSPIRATION

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WHO KNEW SOLIDARITY COULD BE SO MUCH FUN?

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Champions for Change: Power Couples With A Cause

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A VOICE FOR THE VULNERABLE

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INDIGENOUS AMAZON ACTIVIST FIGHTS TO SAVE THE FOREST AND HER TRIBE'S FUTURE

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003 - Global Heroes - December 2020 by Global Heroes - Issuu