London, Ontario
Andrew is currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces and is an active advocate for Veterans’ and emergency responders’ mental health. Andrew was diagnosed with PTSD after being deployed but has used this diagnosis as incentive to establish a not-for-profit organization that delivers wellness initiatives to Veterans and emergency responders, aiming to decrease the mental health stigma.
As a Platoon Commander for the 31 Military Police Platoon in London, Ontario, Andrew has become a mental health advocate in aiming to decrease the stigma for Veterans in the years since he was diagnosed with PTSD, a diagnosis that arose from his deployment in Tripoli, Libya, in 2014. He established Veterans and Everyday Heroes (V-EH!) in 2019, a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization that delivers wellness initiatives to Veterans and emergency responders. This organization aims to provide acts of kindness such as service dog funding and a program to assist vulnerable Veterans with life essentials. To date, V-EH! has provided thousands of dollars toward wellness initiatives and has partnered with other organizations and not-for-profits to deliver more services to Veterans.
Andrew is open in discussing his mental health, and simultaneously provides education and support around it. He generates discussion at the Ontario Police College where he works as an instructor, while accompanied by his service dog, Riggs. He was awarded by the Canadian Mental Health Association as a mental health champion in 2019. He also attends the Operational Stress Injury Clinic at the Parkwood Institute in London, and attends a peer support group for first responders.
Along with his organizational and advocacy work, he volunteers in dozens of events throughout London promoting mental health assistance and acceptance.