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NOMV Colorado Trail

Proceeds are being collected by Megan May

Completed

Based on 500 miles, each worth $0.10

Ended
1 pledgers

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Raise money for mental health support in the veterinary field

On Monday, July 10, 2023, I will embark on a roughly 500-mile hike on the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. I am raising money for Not One More Vet through this hike. Interested donors can choose to pledge a certain amount of money per mile and can set a maximum donation when making their pledges. Many people ask “why” when they learn that I will be attempting a thru-hike and why I am choosing to fundraise through this adventure. My whys are plentiful.

My first reason for wanting to undertake this venture is simple; this is for me. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with systemic lupus. At that time, the disease wasn’t really impacting my body or my life. That all changed after I caught covid in December of 2020. Since then, I have endured debilitating chronic pain and fatigue. The disease overtime began to impact my nervous system, leading to neuropathy and further issues. The aggressive nature of my flare ups has led me to miss work and eventually reduce my work hours; it has led me to miss out on the active lifestyle that I used to partake in. I was eventually told, at the age of 28, that I was eligible to go on disability. I have done everything I can to prevent this as my job as a veterinary technician is a deep passion of mine and something that I have dedicated my life to.

As one might imagine, this drastic change in my life has impacted my mental health to the point that suicide ideation became a normal part of my day.  Not One More Vet stepped up and awarded me a grant that helped pay for medical and mental health services during a time that I was running out of resources, options, and hope. This organization is actively putting in the leg work that our field so desperately needs to combat the mental health crisis and staggering suicide rates that plague veterinary professionals. NOMV can only continue to offer grants and resources through our contributions.

Not One More Vet is a non-profit that offers resources to those in the veterinary field and advocates for suicide prevention. Studies show that veterinarians are 3.5x more likely to die by suicide than the general population. This is due to the nature of some of our job duties and the impacts of Covid have only compounded the already prevalent mental health crisis. The population of pets we care for has grown but our numbers in the field are shrinking. The veterinary field and its people are in dire need of help.

I have chosen NOMV as the benefactor for this fundraiser because I want them to have the resources necessary to help the next person. I have chosen to fundraise with a challenging thru-hike because over the past 2 years, I have constantly been told what I cannot or will not be able to do because of my health issues. My goal is to prove to myself that I can, and my hope is to advocate and inspire others through my adventure. I invite you all to follow me along my journey.

Schedule

DateNamemilesEarned
7/10Colorado Trail--

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