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Veteran preparing to run 250 miles to raise awareness for PTSD
A Marine Corps veteran is doing an amazingly long run to raise awareness about PTSD. FOX 4's Terrance Friday interviewed her at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetary.
DALLAS - A North Texas woman is getting ready to take a very long run to raise awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Lupita Hernandez is dedicated to changing lives and this year is no different. On Friday, she will begin a 250-mile run to honor fellow veterans who have experienced PTSD.
For the second year in a row, Hernandez will start at the national cemetery in Dallas. She will run about 50 miles per day for five days or until she makes it to Houston.
Her goal is to start a conversation about PTSD and the other issues veterans deal with every single day.
"We came back with these invisible wounds. That and for people to know that we have this mental illness that we don't want to have and deal with on a daily basis, and just to remember that it's not just us but also the families that are dealing with the struggle. There are 22 veterans a day that are committing suicide. So we also want to remember those veterans that are serving our country," Hernandez said.
She also wants to spotlight the organizations in place to help those suffering.
"I know a lot of my friends I work with at the Harris County Veteran Treatment Court, they also struggle. So I put one and two together and that’s how I came up with wanting to do a run to raise awareness," she said. "I want people to know that there’s veterans out there that are struggling and to make sure that even though we’re struggling with it not to forget us."
For every mile Hernandez crosses, she will plant a roadside flag in honor of a veteran currently suffering with PTSD, as well as those who have lost their lives.