Miles in the Morning had the absolute honor of spending the morning with USMC veteran Jacob Schick.
Jacob is the founder of One Tribe Foundation, formerly 22Kill, dedicated to "combat suicide and support all of our nation's bravest," including military veterans, police officers, fire fighters, and medical frontline workers.
Schick's story is one of vulnerability and fortitude, and it all started when he was a child.
"I knew at a very young age I was going to be a Marine," he told Miles in the Morning.
While deployed overseas, his unit received a reaction call, one that would change his life forever.
He had a feeling as he was preparing his team something bad was going to happen. He encouraged his Marines to put on their goggles, button up their neck protectors, groin protectors, and to make sure their flak jackets were buttoned up before heading out on the road.
While driving the lead vehicle, a triple-stacked mine exploded right under his seat. Schick flew through the top of his vehicle 30 feet in the air, and never lost consciousness or went into shock throughout the entire ordeal.
His lungs were collapsed, he had multiple fractures in his left leg and arm, ligament and bone loss, and burns and holes in his left hand and arm. It was 42 minutes until a Black Hawk helicopter arrived. During that time, Schick asked God to please not let his Marines see him die.
Schick spent 18 months in the hospital recovering, had 46 operations, 23 blood transfusions and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
This led him to a deep depression, and a reliance on drugs and alcohol to ease the pain. It was then that he learned he couldn't deal with the pain alone.
22Kill was founded first as a social media campaign, in honor of the 22 veterans who reportedly commit suicide every single day. In 2015, it became a certified non-profit, focusing on on preventing United States military veterans and first responders from committing suicide.
It is composed of multiple programs that were created through partnerships with other non-profit organizations such as Carry The Load.
Schick shared his amazing story with Miles in the Morning, in one of the most unbelievable stories you will ever hear.
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