PRIDE ON THE LINE
After responding to a child death call while working for Lincoln Fire and Rescue, firefighter/paramedic Rob Ravndal developed post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. After years of therapy that wasn’t seeming to help, he was prescribed a service dog. Rob and his 2-year-old coonhound, Pride, became a team on Feb. 1, 2018 and have since been inseparable. Read the full story here: https://journalstar.com/news/local/911/pride-on-the-line-lincoln-medic-fights-city-over-use/article_c1ab2f7c-89f1-5370-b7db-a0cc226d0f86.html
Rob Ravndal, 46, worked for Lincoln Fire and Rescue for nine years, responding to hundreds of emergencies. He was well-liked and well-respected among his peers, and loved his job. “It’s a lot of fun being Superman.”
In October 2015, he was called to a home where a 3-year-old boy had drowned. Several weeks following the incident, he broke down while on duty after days of crying for no reason and waking up in the middle of the night from intense nightmares. He knew something was very wrong. Rob was later diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and was put on light duty.
Rob extends a hand to scratch Pride as he looks through his daily agenda on Dec. 10, 2018. Spending time in the morning to reflect and plan his day helps to manage his PTSD. "I have to take care of my PTSD when I get up in the morning. I can't ignore it, jump in the shower, put on some clothes and head out the door. If I did that, then it flares up and becomes a problem throughout the day."
Rob checks up on Pride in between sets while swimming laps at the Copple Family YMCA on Dec. 10, 2018. Occasionally Pride will get anxious when he sees Rob go under water and although he's leashed and tied to the pool ladder, Pride will try to jump in and "save him." Under law under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as a service dog, Pride is allowed to go wherever Rob does.
“Pride is my lifeguard,” Rob said.
Rob listens to a presentation by Dr. Troy Hayes at Express Life Chiropractic. Rob goes to a general practitioner, therapist, chiropractor, psychologist, a nurse practitioner that specializes in psychiatry and visits a cardiologist once a year to check up on his chest pain that resulted from his PTSD.
Pride stands next to Rob as he signs papers after an appointment at Express Life Chiropractic. One of Pride's tasks is "blocking", which is essentially to create a buffer zone between Rob and anyone that may come near him. If Pride sees someone approach, he'll wag his tail to alert Rob.
Pride lets out a big yawn as he stands guard next to Rob. "Pride is a nut, he's just a big goof," Rob said. "He's definitely got his own personality."
Rob takes advantage of a mild, sunny afternoon and plays with Pride at St. Peter's Catholic Parish on Nov. 18, 2018.
Rob Ravndal prepares a bagel for a snack after picking up his kids from school on Nov. 29, 2018. While his overall goal in living with PTSD is to get as healed up as possible, his primary focus is to continue to take care of his family and be the kind of father and husband he was before he developed it.
