Windham resident's accident leads to children's book

By Kaysa Jalbert

Rosemary Ramsdell was driving on Route 302 on a sunny day in October 2016 on her way to North Conway to meet a friend and do some shopping in the area. Only one month into her retirement, Ramsdell said to herself on the drive, “It’s a gorgeous day and I am free.”

Rosemary Ramsdell of Windham survived a devastating 
accident and was helped by a therapy cat named Andy,
who became the subject of a children's book she wrote
called 'Andy The Kitten's Forever Home.'
COURTESY PHOTO  

As she approached the town line with Raymond, trucks took up half the road as workers in lifts cut down trees, meaning only one lane of traffic was able to pass at a time. The traffic flagger held up the slow sign as everyone began slowing down, including Ramsdell who was keeping her distance from the large van in front of her that had, what she described as, a large thick object like a rolled-up carpet, sticking out of the back. She recalls watching the van and thinking to herself, “It would be awful if I went right into that” and proceeded to stay several feet back.

It was only seconds later that she was struck from behind by a speeding driver, her car being pushed forcefully into the van in front of her. Her body had missed the large thick object she had worried so much about, but that doesn’t mean Rosemary’s life wasn’t about to change forever.

“I am not the person that I was before,” says Ramsdell who suffered a traumatic brain injury and PTSD when her head went back and forth so forcefully in the accident that it caused her brain to hit her skull, damaging her frontal lobe.

Seven years later, Rosemary Ramsdell, also known as Rosie, is the author of her first book "Andy The Kitten’s Forever Home," a story told by her ragdoll cat Andy who accompanied and comforted Ramsdell during her toughest times of recovery.

“I was very lonely, living a very lonely sad life and I couldn’t sleep at night. It was like climbing a mountain and walking around with a black cloud on top of your head,” Ramsdell said. “I never smiled. Andy brought my smile back. He was so funny, and he would cuddle with me, and I would talk to him. He always slept with me and even now when I can’t sleep, I just listen carefully to his purring, and it puts me right to sleep.”

It wasn’t until six days after the accident when Ramsdell realized that something was wrong. She was at her daughter’s house babysitting her three grandsons when a wave sickness took over. It was in that moment, she said, things started to go bad. 

The damage to her brain from the accident caused Ramsdell to lose much of her basic abilities taught in school as a child, such as reciting the alphabet, how to count, the ability to spell and do simple math. It also threw off her balance and peripheral vision, her speech, motor skills, and memory were all affected.

She spent the next 10 months in rehabilitation, working with a team of therapists when one day, as Ramsdell was at home with Andy, she picked up a pen and a note pad and started writing about her ragdoll's life.

“It just happened. I can’t tell you how it happened because it just happened,” said Ramsdell. “I didn’t even start on a computer because I didn’t know how to use one. I taught myself Word and it just started to flow because it was something very dear to my heart.”

It was in 2018 when Ramsdell adopted Andy and it wasn’t fate that had brought them together. She had a ragdoll for most of her life prior and felt it was exactly what she needed in her new life living with TBI. She had found Andy at Paws and Claws in Windham amongst his four sisters.

“My life was so small it was a miracle that I found him, and he has just become such a good part of my life,” says Ramsdell. “Being able to write has been a gift and Andy is my inspiration.”

The book "Andy The Kitten’s Forever Home" and Rosemary’s story has served as an inspiration for others who struggle with Traumatic Brain Injuries and PTSD. Ramsdell says many of the people who reach out to her have been veterans and she has since encouraged others to get pets to help them deal with PSTD and brain trauma.

She is now working on her second book that will feature her other furry friend, Cali, and talk about a pet’s life during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rosemary Ramsdell came to the United States when she was 23 from Scotland and has lived in Maine since. She is a mother and a grandmother and has been married to her husband Alan for 33 years who she says has been her rock throughout her recovery and she is so grateful for her family. <

Woodbrey confident in leading Windham’s MSSPA

By Ed Pierce

When the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals was looking for a new leader to replace longtime executive director Meris Bickford last month, it didn’t have to search very far. Kathy Woodbrey of Raymond, who has been part of the leadership team at MSSPA for the last 11 years, has assumed the leadership role for the nonprofit organization and is eager to put what she’s learned through the years to good use.

Kathy Woodbrey of Raymond will lead the
Maine State Society for the Protection of
Animals as its new executive director. Woodbrey
has worked for the MSSPA for 11 years and
succeeds Meris Bickford, who has retired.
COURTESY PHOTO 

Woodbrey was born in Pennsylvania and her family moved to the mid-coast of Maine the summer before she entered sixth grade. She graduated from Lincoln Academy in Newcastle and went on to receive an Associate of Science degree in animal medical technology from the University of Maine at Orono. In 2004 and 2005, Woodbrey attended Andover College to study accounting and in 2021 she earned a Non-Profit Management certificate from the University of Southern Maine.

She originally joined MSSPA because she was looking to change careers.

“Before working for the MSSPA, I worked for the Raymond School Department while attending Andover College in the evenings. Shortly after graduating from Andover College, I saw a job listing for a "local non-profit," Woodbrey said. “The job listing was a little vague and it did not disclose the name of the organization. Imagine how thrilled I was when I learned it was the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals. I have always loved animals, I am one who roots for the underdog, so I was very pleased to work on behalf of the horses.”

Based in Windham, the mission of the MSSPA is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines. MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected.

The MSSPA’s goal for each horse is rehabilitation and a new home, but if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.

“Most of the MSSPA herd has experienced abuse and neglect at some point in their life,” Woodbrey said. “So, for me the best thing is seeing them content in their surroundings, watching them happily munching on hay, and hearing them nickering to one another.”

According to Woodbrey, she’s not planning on making significant or community engagement regarding MSSPA.

“I have to say that our local community is incredibly supportive of the MSSPA. Members of the local community volunteer at the farm and donate to fundraising campaigns,” she said. “Residents of the Southern Maine Re-entry Facility regularly volunteer and one resident at SMWRC is employed by MSSPA. Students from Windham High School and Windham Middle School volunteer every Friday during the school year. And the Windham Primary School second graders hold a fundraiser for the horses and then come for a field trip each spring. It's a wonderful community and we are glad to be a part of it.”

But like every other nonprofit organization these days, MSSPA is adapting to changing needs in the 21st century, such as working with other groups to help save the lives of animals.

“We are expanding collaborations with other equine shelters in New England and beyond. The MSSPA, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals and the New Hampshire Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals occasionally transfer equines between the shelters which ultimately increases adoptions and affords each organization to help more horses in need,” Woodbrey said. “MSSPA is one of 10 equine shelters in the U.S. to be named as a Mentoring Partner of the Equus Foundation. The Equus partners are recognized for operating at the highest standards for business and equine welfare practices. And last summer, MSSPA transported three wild mustangs from the River Road farm right here in Windham to Skydog Sanctuary's 3,000 acre ranch in Bend, Oregon.”

Her family is excited and supportive about her new leadership role with the MSSPA.

“My husband, Mitch, has always been supportive of me and he values the work of the MSSPA. We live on a small farm in Raymond with two horses, one of which we adopted from the MSSPA,” she said. “Mitch and I share in their daily care. I do morning chores before work, and he does the evening chores after work. My sons Patrick and Justin are also very supportive and help out on the farm when they can.”

She says that her favorite horse at MSSPA is the one who hasn't quite made its way there yet.

“It's the horse who is out there waiting for human intervention, waiting to be brought to the MSSPA where it will receive the very best care from the skilled staff and volunteers,” Woodbrey said. “I’d like readers to know that the MSSPA couldn't rescue, rehabilitate, and adopt formerly abused and neglected equines without their support. Last year MSSPA provided life-saving programming to 134 equines, 32 horses were adopted, fundraising efforts exceeded $1 million, and volunteers donated over 8,500 hours. It may sound cliche but MSSPA's supporters make this vital work possible, and we thank you.” <

Recovering resident shares story of hope for those experiencing substance use disorder

After many years of substance misuse,
Brittany Reichmann realized that sobriety is
a lifetime choice for her. She works to raise
awareness that a life in recovery is possible
and that by telling her story, she hopes to
decrease the stigma about substance use
disorder among people of all ages..
PHOTO BY SUSIE LEE PHOTOGRAPHY 

By Lorraine Glowczak

Brittany [Fearon] Reichmann of Windham grew up in a loving home and was raised by two adoring parents and had a fun-loving brother. She was an avid soccer player who was very involved in extracurricular activities as a youth. She graduated from Windham High School in 2007 with honors and an above 4.0-grade point average. She had a perfect life – until a prescribed medication led to illegal substance misuse that robbed her passion for living the life of her dreams.

“I really had a wonderful life before I was introduced to a variety of mind-altering substances,” Reichmann said. “I started drinking around the age of 14 – when I was a freshman. It was a casual thing to do with friends on the weekends. It was here that it all began.”

During her sophomore year, however, Reichmann had her wisdom teeth removed. To relieve the pain, she was prescribed a small dose of the prescription opioid, Vicodin. This substance changed the trajectory of her life.

“The second I began taking that prescription, I really loved the way it made me feel,” Reichmann admitted.

Soon, her prescription ran out, and she longed for the ‘fix’ that Vicodin provided. A close friend mentioned that there were opioids easily accessible in medicine cabinets of various family and friends. They found and began helping themselves to this “medicine cabinet” substance.

“As soon as he told me how accessible opioids were, we found some and took them that day,” Reichmann said. “For him, it was just for fun, and the use didn’t have detrimental effects. But for me, that fun became a habit.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), this habit was not a choice for Reichmann. NIDA maintains that substance use disorder is a genetic makeup that the individual cannot control. “As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a medical disorder that affects the brain and changes behavior.”

While Reichmann’s friend could easily experiment with opioids without harmfully changing his behavior, Reichmann’s brain reacted differently.

“We still do not fully understand why some people develop an addiction to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug use,” NIDA website confirmed.

Reichmann continued providing a successful persona to her family and friends during the rest of her high school years. Every college she applied to, accepted her. Finally, she decided on the University of New Hampshire.

“When I was attending college, everyone was partying, drinking and taking drugs – while at the same time also doing what they were supposed to be doing - going to class and studying,” Reichmann said. “During my freshman year, I was already incapable of doing those things without the use of substances. If I did not have access to opioids, I didn’t go to class. If I couldn’t find that substance, I would rely on alcohol. It was not uncommon for me to show up on a Tuesday morning class, already drunk at 11 a.m. in order to take an exam.”

It wasn’t until her second semester of college that things worsened. Three weeks into the spring semester, she experienced a mental breakdown.

“I called my family and told them that I couldn’t do this anymore - that college was not the right place for me,” she said. “Everyone understood that I was undergoing a sort of depression and were there to support me, but the thing is, no one knew I had a substance use disorder.”

She returned home to live with her family and enrolled in a local college. Unfortunately, being around a supportive family did not change her substance misuse, and she began buying opioids from dealers and thus surrounding herself with new ‘friends’.

“Things continued to get worse and worse – eventually, my parents noticed my substance misuse,” Reichmann said. “They would give me stipulations. ‘Get a job’, ‘Go to school’, they pleaded.”

After ten years of trying, and failing, to become sober, she experienced an epiphany.

I remember sitting on the porch at my parents’ house and asking myself, ‘How did I get here?’, she said. “This reflection brought me to my knees – it was the turning point after years of failed sobriety. I realized that this is a lifetime thing for me. I can never drink or take any form of substance, ever. My body and mind are different than others and will not be able to respond to substances in a healthy way.”

But by this time, family and friends asked her to hold herself accountable. They had had enough of helping her after multiple ‘failures.”. So, Reichmann took a chance and requested help from her employer.

“I asked them to loan me money so I could finally become sober,” Reichmann said. “I promised to pay them back, and they agreed. I got help, went to a sober living facility, and rebuilt my life. I’ve repaid the loan my employer gave me, and now I’m living a healthy and happy life of sobriety.”

Reichmann is now five years sober. She is a homeowner, a wife, and a mother of a 1-year-old son. She works as the Program Manager for Maine Association of Recovery Residences, assisting others in the life of recovery.

“I’m currently living my greatest passion, helping others to live a life of active recovery while also decreasing the stigma surrounding substance misuse,” she said. “But perhaps more importantly, by sharing my personal story, I am raising awareness that a life of recovery is possible. I am living proof that change is doable despite it all – believe me. I’ve been through a lot. I promise – there is not a challenge that a person cannot come back from. There is hope. Never give up.”

Resources are available for those who are experiencing substance use disorder and desperately want to make a change.

They include the following:

* Lakes Region Recovery Center in Bridgton, 25 Hospital Drive, Suite E, 207-803-8707.

* Portland Recovery Center in Portland, 102 Bishop St., Portland, 207-553-2575.

* National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI-Maine) in Hallowell, 52 Water St., 800-464-5767.

* Brittany Reichmann, bmfearon89@gmail.com.

In an extreme mental health crisis, turn to the new crisis hotline to receive immediate expert care by dialing 988. <