AURORA, Colo. — Independence Day and fireworks go hand in hand. But those colorful creations commemorating our nation's freedom can have a negative impact on the veterans who defended that freedom.
While most people prepare for the Fourth of July by buying up things that go boom, Marine combat veteran Amber Estes is stocking up on something much quieter. “I think it’s mandatory you talk to your Legos while you play with them,” said Estes, while building a new creation. The colorful little toy blocks help spark good memories for the combat veteran.
“I can use this to stay out of my own head to stop that cycle of reliving the trauma,” she said. “When I clip them together, it is actually fun when you start listening to them.” It’s a sound that brings her relief while another makes her restless.
“I was in a parking lot and fireworks shot up,” said Estes, talking about the first time she slipped into a PTSD episode because of fireworks. “You could hear the streak and before the bang went off, I rolled underneath this pickup truck and I was screaming out, ‘Second squad, all heads up on me, swivel the 50, where’s that fire coming from.’” Estes was in America, but her mind was in a war zone.
“It truly felt like I was back in the firefight,” said Estes. “That’s what that one-off firework does when you’re not prepared for the event. It’s different for each individual.
For me, that firework becomes that helio. It becomes that gunshot that ratt.
