Legoland Florida Giveaway!

Healing Heroes Network wants to say Thank You to our service members by giving back to our own local Military Heroes...  

We currently have TWO family 4 packs of admission tickets to Legoland Florida, and would like to give them away to TWO special military families in the Tampa Bay area!  If you are a Military service member, from any branch of the armed forces, retired or active duty, please email us NOW at info@healingheroes.org and tell us about your family!  (You will need to supply a copy of your Military ID and/or DD-214 upon request.)  Healing Heroes Network will choose TWO lucky families to visit Legoland Florida!

As always, we are eternally grateful to all of our military heroes for their service, and we know that their families sacrifice so much as well...  Through this giveaway, we wish to recognize the Heroes and military families right here in our own backyard, and hope to brighten someone's day by sending them on a fun filled day at Legoland!

We look forward to receiving your entries and hearing about the many amazing 

Hero families in the Tampa Bay area!  Email us now, we are waiting to hear from you!

Local family selected to receive Clearwater Marine Aquarium giveaway!

Meet the O'Shell Family...

William O'Shell Jr., retired 1st Sgt of the U.S. Army, and his wife Annette O'Shell, contacted Healing Heroes Network this past May when they heard about a giveaway contest for military families in the Tampa Bay area.  Healing Heroes Network was giving away free family admission passes for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to a local deserving military family.  Born and raised right here in Pinellas county, Annette reached out right away to tell HHN about her amazing, heroic family.  Upon reading about the O'Shell's, we knew just who was going to win this awesome trip.

Annette and William have a strong military history and family tradition.  William is from Pennsylvania and served proudly for 25 years in the U.S. Army. In 1991, he finally left the military to take care of his mother, who had become ill and was dying. Both Annette and William are now retired, and started doing foster care 4 years ago in 2010. They are currently licensed Medical/Therapeutic foster parents for children with special needs here in Pinellas County.  Annette and William have a son who is now a Sgt. in the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC., and their daughter in law is also medically retired from the U.S. Army.

The O'Shell home is currently residence to 6 children, 5 of which are in the foster care system. Their youngest, biological son Grayson is 11 years old.  The other children in the home range from ages 1 month old to 2 years old, 5 years old, 7 years old, and 15 years old.  Annette says, "I was born here in Pinellas county and have watched all the changes the Clearwater Marine Aquarium has gone through. I have not been able to see the Aquarium due to the expense of all the kids. We can't wait to take a day and come visit the Aquarium and Winter.  Thank you Healing Heroes Network!"

In conjunction with the family's trip to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Healing Heroes Network will also be sending the O'Shell family to have dinner at Crabby Bill's on Clearwater Beach.  We are honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to give back and show our appreciation to this deserving military family right here in the Tampa Bay area!  Healing Heroes Network would like to thank the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Crabby Bill's Seafood Restaurant for making this possible!

          

"Sunday Funday" Military Appreciation Event!

Are you a military family based in the Tampa Bay area?  Or do you know of a hard working, deserving military family that has sacrificed their time and/or loved ones to preserve our nation's freedom by fighting for our country?  If so, then....

Healing Heroes Network is excited to announce our first ever "Sunday Funday" Military Appreciation event, coming this August to Clearwater Beach, FL!  On Sunday, August 24, 2014, we will be awarding FOUR local military families with family fun prize packs including theme park tickets, restaurant gift cards, merchandise from Ron Jon Surf Shop, and more!  We need your help getting local families on board, so here's how to nominate and vote... 

- Visit the "Sunday Funday " Facebook event page:    https://www.facebook.com/events/756597331058073/

- To nominate your family, or a military family that you think deserves a family fun prize pack, click on the link: "Nominate/Vote Here".

The four families with the highest number of "points" will be awarded their prizes at the Sunday Funday event in August.  Also on hand will be raffles, giveaways, games for the kids, fun for the whole family, a Healing Heroes Network guest speaker, and a performance by Nashville Recording Artist, Jamie Tate, including her hit single "I'll Give My All", a patriotic tribute to our military.  You don't want to miss out on this awesome event! Please tell your friends and family, and join us on Sunday, August 24th from 12pm - 3pm at the Pier 60 Pavilion on Clearwater Beach.  

Nominate a Military Family today!

PTSD Awareness Day

At Healing Heroes Network, we believe strongly in supplying the resources and support that is necessary for healing the whole hero.  This can be hard to accomplish if the hero's wounds are not visible to their friends, caregivers, and families.  Sadly, often times our brave men and women are coming home from war with "invisible" injuries, the most commonly heard in today's society being PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).  PTSD may develop after someone experiences one or more traumatic events (such as first hand combat, witnessing others being physically harmed or killed, being physically harmed themselves, etc...) The symptoms of PTSD can be debilitating to the hero, devastating to the family, and in the very worst cases, fatal.  The most common symptoms of PTSD include, but are not limited:

- Recurring nightmares or flashbacks of the event(s)
- Sleeplessness
- Lowered sense of self & self-esteem
- Depression & loss of interest
- Anger & irritability

These unfortunate symptoms have been known to lead to:

- Domestic violence & abuse
- Erratic behavior
- Decreased attention span
- Mental disorders
- Suicide 

In 2010, as an effort to educate the public and spread awareness about the issue of PTSD, the U.S. Senate declared the month of June "National PTSD Awareness" month.  In addition, June 27th has been designated as "PTSD Awareness" day by the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD).  At Healing Heroes Network, we strive everyday "through communication, education, and community outreach" to bring awareness to often undiagnosed and untreated injuries of war, and the desperate need for our services.  While many of our nations heroes are being given numerous pills and medications to mask the symptoms of PTSD, we believe in offering hope through healing.  With network providers all over the country ranging in specialty areas such as counseling, psychiatry, massage therapy, energy healing, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and many more, we have been able to offer a path to recovery for many heroes suffering from PTSD.

Join us this June 27th as we continue to spread awareness about this disorder that has wreaked havoc on so many military heroes, and their families lives.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Giveaway

Healing Heroes Network wants to say Thank You to our service members by giving back to one of our own local Military Heroes...  

We currently have a family 4 pack of admission tickets to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and would like to give them away to a special family in the Tampa Bay area!  If you are a Military service member, from any branch of the armed forces, retired or active duty, please email us NOW at info@healingheroes.org and tell us about your family!  (You will need to supply a copy of your Military ID and/or DD-214 upon request.)  Healing Heroes Network will choose one lucky family to visit Winter, the real life inspiration of the "Dolphin Tale" movies!  

As always, we are eternally grateful to all of our military heroes for their service, and we know that their families sacrifice so much as well...  Through this giveaway, we wish to recognize the Heroes and military families right here in our own backyard, and hope to brighten someone's day by sending them on a fun filled day to the now famous Clearwater Marine Aquarium...  

We look forward to receiving your entries and hearing about the many amazing hero families in the Tampa Bay area....  Have a great weekend!