Meet Darrell

Darrell is one of the most down-to-earth and resilient people  you’ll ever meet. He experienced some severe trauma in the earlier years of his career, which has taken a lot of hard work to overcome. But with support from a couple of United Way funded agencies and other organizations, he’s in a much better place today. We’re honoured to share Darrell’s story and highlight some of the help he received along the way.

Falling Through the Cracks

From 1986 – 1992, when Darrell was in his late 20’s, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces and served as a Marine Electrician for the Navy. His involvement in different military responses over that time caused him to develop complex PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder.

He was discharged in 1992, and his life over the next 20 years was drastically changed as a result of his mental illness. For a long time he was stuck in a downward spiral. He had limited support, could only get odd jobs as an electrician and he experienced addiction. In 2016, he hit rock bottom and became homeless for an entire year.

Darrell managed to get in contact with Veteran’s Affairs, which started a chain reaction of support that would send him on a brighter path. Veteran’s Affairs put him in touch with VETS Canada, a United Way funded agency, who helped him find a place to call home. They provided him with essentials like groceries and more. They also connected him to several other important services like the OSI Clinic and CMHA Halifax/Dartmouth.

Building Bridges to a Brighter Future

CMHA is a mental health support organization also funded in part by United Way Halifax. Darrell still works with them today. He speaks highly of their amazing programs and great staff members like Marg Murray and Bev Cadham.

During his first three years at CMHA, Darrell met with their staff every two weeks, one-on-one. Now, he’s still receiving  one-on-one support, and he’s also actively participating in social groups with other members, like Building Bridges. There are five opportunities for participants to do fun activities together each week, but it’s no pressure, no commitment – which really helps Darrell.

“If I’m being honest, there are many times that I don’t feel like going, but I almost always feel better after I do.”

Strength in Unity

With all his support in place, Darrell successfully applied to the Invictus Games in 2020. Invictus is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick Armed Forces members – both serving and veterans. He flew to Holland with 32 other Canadian teammates, 3 from HRM, to compete in archery, indoor rowing and wheelchair basketball. Darrell is one of a handful of people to be spotlighted in the Netflix Series created by Prince Harry called “Heart of Invictus”. It gave him the opportunity to share his story and talk about how important sports are to his recovery.

Paying it Forward

Darrell attributes much of his success to the kindness of people who supported him, and he makes sure to pay that forward however he can.  He’s currently participating in ARK’s Coldest Night of the Year initiative. He organized sock drives and donated them to the North End Community Health Centre, who distributed them to community members experiencing homelessness. At CMHA, he led workshops to teach his friends how to build barn quilts, which was enjoyed by many.

But one of the things Darrell is most proud of is his yellow bench project. When he went to Invictus, there were yellow benches that were designated for forming friendships and making connections. When he got back to Halifax, he built several yellow benches and asked the city to place them in certain areas around the city. Now his benches can be found at Veteran’s Corner in Clayton Park, Albro Lake and in his therapist’s and yoga instructor’s offices. There will be more to come-he just applied for approval for more benches.

Life is steadily continuing to improve for Darrell. He has income and housing supports provided by Veteran’s affairs. He still receives mental health support from a team of professionals and through programs at CMHA. They’ve helped him enroll in swimming lessons to help him overcome a fear of water developed through PTSD. They’ve also connected him to Meals on Wheels to give him access to nutritious meals and help him cope with a fear of fire. Lately he’s enjoyed doing archery at a local Archery Club, cycling around the community, and he’ll soon be joining a local wheelchair basketball club.

“I honestly don’t think that any of this would have been possible without help from many organizations, including CMHA and Vets Canada. Above all, they’ve made me feel like I’m not alone in this. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along my journey. Here’s to more success and opportunities in the future.”