CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Warning: Story contains graphic details or images.
The statistics are shocking. Seventeen veterans die by suicide every day in this country and their unique mental health struggles mean that getting help can be tough.
But Hopeway, a Charlotte-based facility dedicated to helping veterans, is working to change those numbers.
WCNC Charlotte spoke with one veteran, who is also a new father of two. He said he was suicidal before he got help. Now he's hoping other veterans will hear his story and know there is a way out.
Cameron Maxwell did two tours in Afghanistan – saw friends die in combat – and says that once he was home, the PTSD meant he couldn’t even handle storytime with his young daughter.
Now Cameron is sharing his story in hopes of helping others see there is hope and there is help.
The Maxwell household is not a calm one.
Their child, Charlotte, is three years old, Everett is just one year old, and there’s Paddington, the family dog.
Charlotte and Everett's mom, Brittany, was a school principal and is now an administrator with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
"She's a handful, but she's the funniest handful," Cameron said of Charlotte.
Just a year ago Cameron admits, as much as he loves being a dad, he was overwhelmed by just reading to his kids.
"I was having nightmares every night and drinking so that I didn’t have nightmares," he admits.
"The first deployment, I lost 16 friends in a year and then my truck gets blown up," Cameron said. "My second deployment was scarier. It wasn’t vehicles blown up. It was the ground beneath you. You don’t know if that next step is your last and you’re walking for miles."
Medically discharged from the army, Cameron said the stress from the birth of their second child, Everett, sent his PTSD into overdrive.
"I had a meltdown with my wife and told her I was suicidal."
He got help at Hopeway, a Charlotte-based mental health facility with a special program for veterans.
"Veterans, when they come here, get a unique treatment plan and we determine a plan that includes medicine holistic therapy medical approaches," Dr. Justin Johnson, Hopeway's Director of Veteran Services, explained.
An army reservist himself, the psychiatrist in charge of the program said they tailor therapies to match veterans’ needs.
"It's the least we can do as citizens to try to give back to these people and help them live better happier lives," Johnson said.
Brittany said Hopeway gave Cameron the tools he needed to cope with day-to-day life.
"It made him realize there is light at the end of the tunnel, he doesn’t have to live that way," she said.
Cameron agreed.
"Hopeway gave me a new take on life. I can be present at the moment, be present in all the moments. Instead of being lost in a fog. It's a weight lifted off my shoulders that I get to be a dad."
Contact Michelle Boudin at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.
WCNC Charlotte is committed to reporting on the issues facing the communities we serve. We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. WCNC Charlotte is seeking solutions for you. Send your tips or questions to newstips@wcnc.com.