Michigan PTSD group dis-honors soldier's memory after suicide

This is a quote of what a Mom was told. "not here where we don’t have any connection … where nobody knows Ryan Patrick Kennedy" and that quote came after her son's story touched someone so much, things started to change in Michigan. Saying there is "no connection" is not true and the story shows that. They may want to do something good in Michigan but this is a lousy way to start.

Soldier's mother 'devastated' by name change at PTSD site
Center planned to honor son's name
Associated Press
Apr. 10, 2014

TRAVERSE CITY — The mother of a soldier from Chicago said she is “devastated” at the decision to remove her late son’s name from a planned facility in Traverse City devoted to treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

The center once known as the Ryan Patrick Kennedy House is now being called Tranquility House. Kennedy suffered from PTSD and took his own life in 2012.

The project’s board members made the decision this week, saying they did so after seeing how much financial support was coming from Chicago.

“We determined that it would be better to allow them to reorganize, if you will, in Chicago and not here where we don’t have any connection … where nobody knows Ryan Patrick Kennedy,” board member Richard Edmonds said.

Kennedy’s mother, Linda, said the idea for the Traverse City facility began last year when she made an online connection with another soldier’s mother from northern Michigan.

They talked about creating a place where PTSD sufferers such as Ryan Kennedy could go to heal.

“It helped me to know that Ryan’s name was going to be used to help other young soldiers suffering with PTSD so they wouldn’t do what Ryan did,” Lisa Kennedy told WPBN-WTOM-TV.
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