|
September 10, 2001. Allison Travis was a nurse in Houston, TX with a
master’s degree. She had been working in the health care field for close to
30 years.
September 11, 2001. Allison Travis, who very rarely calls in sick to any
job, stayed home ill. She witnessed on live television, as did most of us,
what shook this country to its very core and what forever changed so many
lives.
September 12, 2001. Allison Travis joined the United States Navy Reserve –
at the age of 49.
“9-11 changed my life,” Alison recalled. “When I saw everything unraveling
I was in tears. I felt so helpless. I just knew military action would
happen and happen soon. I wanted to help. I knew I could help.”
Lt. Allison Travis was trained and then deployed to Kuwait 18 months later.
She worked in Kuwait for two years at the U.S. military hospital at Camp
Arifjan as a mental health triage officer.
Allison said she wanted to help. She was certainly provided the
opportunity. Located right at the border of Kuwait and Iraq, Allison found
herself working to make a difference in countless lives at the main U.S.
military hospital for the entire region.
The very first soldier Allison treated changed her life as much as she
changed his. He was a 19-year-old marine on his third tour of duty. He was
the only survivor when his entire unit was hit by IED’s (improvised
explosive devices).
“When I first laid eyes the boy,” she remembered, “he was curled up in fetal
position. He was calling out the name of his puppy back home.”
This gave Allison an idea about how she might reach this young soldier and
help him recover. She worked to stabilize him and then spoke with the army
veterinary officer there. Allison was able to bring one dog and one cat on
board with her to serve as therapy pets. Allison said during the next
session she had with that young marine he “just melted” when he saw the
animals. That dog and that cat were the beginning of the soldier’s long
road to recovery.
That soldier, that dog and that cat launched what was to become the first
ever Animal Assisted Therapy Program in a war zone. And that program earned
Allison the first of two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.
That same young marine was also a smoker, going through nicotine withdrawal,
on top of everything else with which he was dealing. Allison worked with
the pharmacist there to provide him, along with many other soldiers,
necessary medication and nicotine patches to help kick their addiction.
That was the start of the Tobacco Cessation Program there, for which Allison
was awarded her second Commendation Medal.
After all this you might think Allison would have been ready to come home.
Not so. The thought didn’t even sound appealing. She was originally
deployed for one year, voluntarily stayed for another, and by then, strange
as it may sound, thoughts of returning home were not welcome. In fact they
were terrifying. The group of people Allison lived and worked with had
become family, in a way few of us can comprehend. “I can’t even describe
the camaraderie that that’s there when you’re in a combat zone,” said
Allison, with a catch in her voice and tears filling her eyes. “They are
the only ones who can help, support and really understand you,” she
explained. Being without that family was something Allison dreaded. But it
was time for her to say goodbye to that family and to come home to the one
she has here in the United States.
Alison didn’t return to her Texas home, rather, came here to Georgia where
her brother and sister live. They welcomed her with love and open arms, but
that didn’t mean the transition back to “normal life” was easy. “Coming
home.” Allison said. “They don’t prepare you for that.”
Alison couldn’t go back to nursing. She’d seen too many people wounded by
IED’s. She made a career change to the IT world. But that alone didn’t
help her to adjust to every-day life. She needed to socialize.
A
varsity tennis player in high school, Allison actually brought a racquet
with her to Kuwait – and used it on the one court that was there. She said
tennis was her therapy in Kuwait, so she decided to give that same therapy a
try here in Georgia.
“I
thank God for tennis,” Alison said. “Tennis is what got me back on track.
It’s what brought me out of post-deployment funk and connected me with
civilization again.”
One of those connections was with her mixed doubles partner, Daniel Lucas.
Daniel and his wife have been extremely supportive of Allison in her
transition back to life as the rest of know it. Theirs is a special bond
which makes quite a difference in Allison’s life today.
Now, happy to be home, Allison is also content with that decision and that
commitment she made on September 12, 2001.
“I’m proud I served my country,” she said. “And that I put some smiles on
soldiers’ faces and helped make them healthier.”
If
you’re playing anywhere near the Blagmon 7.0 Adult Team out of Gwinnett
County, that’s where you’ll find Allison. Be sure to take a moment to thank
her for that brave decision and for her courageous service. And let her
know we’re sure happy to have her back home!
Lt. Allison Travis with
doubles partner and friend Daniel Lucas
|
