War veteran who inspired the play "Invisible Wounds", visits Clifton Hill

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We were very honoured this Remembrance Day to welcome a special guest to Clifton Hill. 44-year old Canadian war veteran, Ed Brown (from British Columbia), joined the drama students from Niagara Falls’ Stamford Collegiate High School to board the Niagara SkyWheel.
Earlier that day, Stamford Collegiate students performed their Sears Drama Festival-winning play, “Invisible Wounds” in front of Ed Brown, the man in which this play is based upon. Brown wrote a book entitled “A Soldier’s Fortune and Other Poems: Moving past PTSD and creating a fun-loving life.” This book was a way for him to cope with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) after his time in war. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, terrorism or any other threats on a person’s life. In this book, Ed Brown wrote a collection of heart-felt poems — poems in which inspired these students to reach out to the publisher, who in turn contacted Ed Brown.
Brown was a former soldier who served a 19-year military career. He was sent on peacekeeping missions in Isreal, Syria, Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia, and was so very touched when he found out that students were creating a play adaption of his book. So much so, that he flew over from British Columbia on Remembrance Day to watch the performance himself, thanks to the non-profit organization, Wounded Warriors Canada. Wounded Warriors supports Canada’s ill and injured armed forces members, veterans, plus their families.
“Invisible Wounds” was introduced in May 2015 when Stamford Collegiate hosted a DSBN Mental Health Night in front of teachers and mental health partners. It then went on to receive the top prize at the DSBN’s Sears Drama Festival.
The drama students were so excited to have Ed Brown join them in Niagara Falls that they decided to take him out to dinner, plus give him a tour of Niagara Falls and the Clifton Hill District.
We hope to have him back again soon, and special mention to Stamford Collegiate High School for their amazing production, kind hearts, and for welcoming one of our war heroes around Niagara Falls, Canada.
**About the book: Psychologist Agnes Sawchyn says that Ed writes “with unflinching frankness and emotional honesty… Ed extends a message of hope to others by describing what, in the end, made his journey back to health possible and worth navigating: his love for his children, the apprehension and joy of experiencing new love, the simple beauties of nature, and an irrepressible sense of humour and playfulness.”