11/18/2025
FROM GROUND ZERO TO SANCTUARY: A CHRONICLE OF SERVICE
The Complete 12-Day Journey
Over the past 12 days, we've shared the most personal story we've ever told.
From Ground Zero to sanctuary.
From trauma to transformation.
From pain to purpose.
From loss to service.
This is the complete journey.
DAY 1: HISTORICAL TURNING POINTS
September 11th, 2001. The day that changed everything.
I was 22 years old. I spent a month at Ground Zero as a rescue worker.
The trauma. The loss. The weight of what I witnessed.
That day shaped who I became and what I built.
This is where the journey begins.
DAY 2: THE FIRST RESPONSE
The call came in. Firefighters needed help. I responded.
For a month, I worked in the rubble. Searching. Hoping. Witnessing things no one should have to see.
The first response taught me that showing up matters.
That service matters.
That every life matters.
DAY 3: THE LASTING TOLL
I came home from Ground Zero, but Ground Zero never left me.
The trauma. The nightmares. The weight I carried for 18 years.
PTSD. Survivor's guilt. Physical injuries. Emotional scars.
The lasting toll of September 11th shaped everything that came after.
DAY 4: A DIFFERENT KIND OF CALLING
After Ground Zero, I couldn't go back to "normal life."
I needed purpose. I needed to keep serving.
But I couldn't go back to firefighting. My body was broken.
So I found a different kind of calling: Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
The sanctuary was born from Ground Zero.
DAY 5: SKILLS THAT TRANSFER
Firefighting and wildlife rescue seem different.
But the skills transfer.
Triage. Crisis management. Staying calm under pressure. Resource allocation. Problem-solving. Showing up when it matters.
Ground Zero taught me how to save lives.
The sanctuary is where I put those skills to use.
DAY 6: MAGIC'S WISDOM
After Ground Zero, I was broken. I didn't know how to heal.
Then I met Magic, a Moluccan Cockatoo.
He quotes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. every morning. "I have a dream." "Free at last."
Magic became my therapy. The birds taught me how to heal.
They didn't judge. They just loved.
That's the therapy I needed.
DAY 7: KIKI'S COURAGE
Kiki spent years in a cage so small he forgot how to fly.
His muscles atrophied. His confidence was gone.
But we gave him space, time, hope, and physical therapy.
The day Kiki flew again, we all cried.
That's the spirit of September 12th: Never giving up on a life.
Second chances matter.
DAY 8: STORMY (THE SEPTEMBER 12TH SPIRIT)
Stormy is our patriotic parrot. Red, white, and blue feathers.
But he's more than that.
He's a reminder of the September 12th spirit.
The day after tragedy, we all came together. No politics. No division. Just unity, kindness, and service.
That's the spirit we need to remember.
DAY 9: THE WEIGHT OF SERVICE
The year I almost broke.
I found an injured baby squirrel on the side of the road.
And for the first time in my life, I almost didn't stop.
I had nothing left.
That squirrel saved my life. He forced me to admit: I was running on empty.
You can't serve from an empty cup.
Self-care isn't selfish. It's survival.
DAY 10: THE FLOCK'S PERSONALITY
Magic quotes Dr. King. Pepper demands grapes with attitude.
Every bird has a personality.
And they remind me of something I forgot after Ground Zero: Joy still exists after trauma.
You don't have to choose between grief and laughter.
Joy and trauma can coexist.
You can carry pain and still find moments of joy.
DAY 11: TRANSFORMATION TESTAMENT
The sanctuary is a living memorial.
Every bird represents a choice to transform pain into purpose.
After Ground Zero, I could have let trauma destroy me.
Instead, I built something that saves lives.
200 birds. 200 testaments to transformation.
That's the living memorial.
DAY 12: THE HEART OF SERVICE (FINAL)
This is why I serve.
Not despite Ground Zero. But because of it.
The trauma gave me empathy. The loss gave me purpose. The pain gave me understanding.
Personal history matters.
Service continues.
24 years after Ground Zero, I'm still serving.
That's the heart of it all.
THE COMPLETE 12-DAY JOURNEY:
✅ Day 1: Historical Turning Points
✅ Day 2: The First Response
✅ Day 3: The Lasting Toll
✅ Day 4: A Different Kind of Calling
✅ Day 5: Skills That Transfer
✅ Day 6: Magic's Wisdom
✅ Day 7: Kiki's Courage
✅ Day 8: Stormy (September 12th Spirit)
✅ Day 9: The Weight of Service
✅ Day 10: The Flock's Personality
✅ Day 11: Transformation Testament
✅ Day 12: The Heart of Service
FROM GROUND ZERO TO SANCTUARY.
From trauma to transformation.
From pain to purpose.
From loss to service.
From victim to servant.
From broken to building.
From destruction to creation.
From ashes to hope.
THANK YOU.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Thank you for witnessing this story.
Thank you for understanding that personal history matters.
Thank you for reminding us why we serve.
ALL 12 VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR PAGE.
If you missed any days, you can watch the complete journey from Day 1 to Day 12.
Start from the beginning and watch the transformation unfold.
PERSONAL HISTORY MATTERS.
Your trauma matters. Your loss matters. Your pain matters.
Not because it defines you as a victim.
But because it can define your purpose.
You can serve because of what you've been through, not despite it.
SERVICE CONTINUES.
The journey doesn't end here.
The sanctuary continues.
The mission continues.
Service never ends.
WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS MISSION:
💙 Follow our page (stay connected to the journey)
💙 Share this series (someone needs to hear this story)
💙 Comment with your story (how has your personal history shaped your purpose?)
💙 Tag someone (who needs to know trauma doesn't disqualify them from service)
💙 Visit www.rfpsinc.com (learn more about our sanctuary)
💙 Donate (link in first comment)
💙 Share our wishlist (help us keep serving)
💙 Become a monthly supporter (sustain the mission)
From Ground Zero to sanctuary. 24 years of service. 200 birds. 20,000+ lives helped.
Personal history matters. Service continues.
From Ground Zero to Sanctuary: A Chronicle of Service 🦜💙
🦜 Ruffled Feathers Parrot Sanctuary
📍 Louisville, KY
💙 From Ground Zero to sanctuary
🌐 www.rfpsinc.com
