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What happens when a highly accomplished military officer confronts her own mortality? Dr. Deanna Won's story begins at the Air Force Academy in the 1980s, where as one of just 200 women in her class, she faced an environment that tested her resolve from day one. "They tried to railroad me out," she reveals, describing both gender-based discrimination and racial bias that created unique challenges beyond what her fellow female cadets experienced.

Through unflinching determination and faith, Deanna not only survived but thrived, embarking on an extraordinary 30-year military career as a physicist. Her expertise in lasers, satellites, and defense technologies took her around the world, though certain assignments brought painful encounters with workplace harassment so severe it left her in tears in bathroom stalls, praying for intervention.

The most profound challenge arrived when, at the height of her professional success as a commander, Deanna received a devastating ovarian cancer diagnosis. Two years later, doctors placed her in hospice with just four weeks to live. The pain was excruciating—"a 20 out of 10"—and conventional treatments offered little relief. It was in this darkest moment that Deanna's scientific mind and spiritual heart found common ground.

Drawing on her background as both military scientist and daughter of a Chinese medicine lineage, Deanna embarked on a holistic healing journey. She discovered that true recovery demanded attention to multiple dimensions: physical through dietary changes, emotional through therapy to address unresolved conflicts, and spiritual through deepened faith. Miraculously, her tumors began to shrink within months.

Today, as a board-certified holistic health practitioner and bestselling author, Deanna guides others through their own healing journeys. Her approach identifies trapped emotions, generational patterns, and physical imbalances that conventional treatment might miss. Most importantly, she teaches that healing comes in manageable layers—"take little baby steps"—rather than overwhelming transformations.

Whether facing health challenges, professional obstacles, or personal struggles, Deanna's message resonates with profound simplicity: "Never lose hope. As long as we're on this side of the veil, things can change." Her extraordinary journey from military commander to terminal patient to holistic healer offers compelling evidence that with openness, patience, and faith, we can overcome even what seems impossible.

Ready to explore holistic healing? Visit https://deannawon.com/ to connect with Dr. Won and discover how her unique approach might support your own journey toward wholeness.

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Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

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Moral injury – the profound wound that occurs when one's deepest moral codes are violated – affects countless veterans yet remains largely misunderstood. This powerful episode brings together three voices at the forefront of healing this invisible wound: retired Colonel Lisa Carrington Firman, who transformed her experiences with combat and military sexual trauma into award-winning books; psychologist Dr. Pat Pernicano and retired chaplain Kerry Haynes, who developed an innovative curriculum combining psychological and spiritual approaches to moral injury healing.

Unlike PTSD, moral injury strikes at the core of identity and meaning, often manifesting as crushing shame, guilt, or a profound sense of betrayal. For women veterans like Lisa, military sexual trauma frequently becomes a source of moral injury when the systems meant to protect them fail. For combat veterans and military leaders, impossible decisions that result in harm - regardless of necessity - can create moral wounds that fester for decades.

What makes this conversation extraordinary is the insight into how healing happens. Through metaphorical storytelling, creative expression, and community support, veterans gradually process pain they've often carried silently for years. The "cracked glass bowl" exercise described by Dr. Pernicano demonstrates how veterans identify their wounds before reimagining themselves transformed through healing - not erasing trauma but integrating it into a new, whole identity.

The discussion addresses a crucial reality: isolation compounds moral injury, while connection facilitates healing. As Kerry notes, "Moral injury happens in community, so healing best happens in community." Yet many veterans, especially those in leadership positions, feel unable to reveal vulnerability. This helps explain why some traumas remain hidden for decades, as Lisa's did for forty years before she found her voice through writing.

Whether you're a veteran struggling with moral injury, someone who loves a veteran, or a provider seeking better ways to help, this episode offers concrete pathways toward healing, forgiveness, and post-traumatic growth. Discover how combining psychological and spiritual approaches can transform even the deepest moral wounds into strength and purpose.

Are you carrying a moral injury or know someone who might be? This conversation could be the first step toward a lighter, more purposeful future beyond the weight of these invisible wounds.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/

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Emie Clevenger shares a powerful journey from Navy veteran to nonprofit founder, revealing how her personal struggles with period poverty as a young girl fueled her mission to create Period Kits North Carolina. The conversation opens a window into the often-hidden world of menstrual inequality, where one in six women in North Carolina can't afford or access basic hygiene products needed during their periods.

Emie's military experience reflects a deeply troubling reality many servicewomen face – being treated as though they don't belong simply because of their gender. Though proud of her service, she explains why many women veterans don't lead with their military experience, revealing how trauma can reshape identity and self-perception. This honest discussion creates a powerful bridge between her past experiences and her current mission fighting for menstrual equity.

The heart of the episode explores what happens when community compassion meets innovative action. Emmy details how Period Kits NC distributes essential menstrual supplies through strategic partnerships with libraries, schools, and community organizations. Each standard kit costs just $2 and contains enough products for a full day, addressing an urgent need that cuts across age groups and demographics. Most surprising is the diverse support that's emerged – from the Elks Lodge to local businesses – showcasing how this "taboo" topic resonates with people regardless of gender when presented as the health and dignity issue it truly is.

What makes this conversation truly remarkable is its blend of raw vulnerability and practical activism. Emmy describes the feeling of using toilet paper as makeshift pads and sitting in them all day as a young girl without resources or education about menstruation. Those powerful moments contrast with the optimistic work she's doing today, having already distributed over 4,000 kits across six counties with plans to reach 10,000 this year.

Want to make a difference? For just $8 monthly, you can ensure one person has consistent access to menstrual products. Visit periodkitsnc.org to learn more about period poverty and how your donation, no matter the size, can restore dignity to someone in your community.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/