An interview with Legacy Place
I was unsure of what to expect heading into the interview with Diana of Legacy Place Society. Videography on its own is intimidating enough for me, let alone when covering such a serious and intense topic. Even given the preparations I had made beforehand, waves of anxiety washed over me as I pulled up to the house.
I had a pretty good idea of what Legacy Place was. I knew that they were an Alberta based charity which aimed to help first responders in their struggles with mental health. They hold conferences for suicide awareness, assistance and prevention. They assisted a variety of people who fit into the label of first responder, such as:
- Police
- EMS
- Correctional Officers
- Military
- Fire Fighters
- Peace Officers
- 911 Dispatch
But it was sort of uncharted territory for me. I hadn’t spoken with anybody about what it was like growing up as the kid of an RCMP officer, and I figured that’s where the conversation would inevitably lead whether I wanted it to or not. Luckily for me, Diana was incredibly welcoming and easy to talk to. She helped ease my fears, especially considering I was also going to be interviewing Jody, who I was far less prepared for.
Diana Festejo, Executive Director
Speaking with Diana was a unique experience for me. As I previously stated, I hadn’t really talked to anybody about this part of my life in quite awhile, let alone someone who worked in the field of assisting first responders. It was refreshing to hear someone who had seen and talked to plenty of people like my dad, and therefore already knew some of the things I was struggling with. Her demeanour was welcoming, inviting me to continue talking with her even after the initial interview was over.
Jody Dymond, ex-military and retired paramedic
Jody’s story wasn’t all that dissimilar from ones I had heard in the past. A first responder who struggled with his mental health and was heavily affected by things he had seen while working. I think he was the perfect person to interview in terms of first responders who had used Legacy Place’s services however. Seeing someone who had clearly been through a lot in his life, recognized he needed help, sought out that help and then managed to build back up his mental health was inspiring. He was right at the end of his time there, and was living, breathing proof that first responders don’t have to suffer through their mental health struggles alone, and that they can get better. In case you needed a single quote to emphasize how instrumental Legacy Place has been in helping Jody, I asked him how much of an impact it’s had on his life, “It’s night and day… I’m still alive.”
A big thank you
Thank you to Diana and Jody for agreeing to do the interview with me and being so open and helpful during filming. I have Nickozs Labitoria to thank for continuing to film the entire thing and adding another layer to an interview I had already thought went well.
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