It took more than one phone call to assure Matthew Heneghan he'd been chosen to receive British Columbia's Medal of Good Citizenship.
The province selected B.C. Day (Monday, Aug. 5) to announce the names of the 18 individuals next in line to receive the honour, awarded to those who have acted in a generous, kind or selfless manner for the betterment of their communities without expectation of reward.
Heneghan, who was raised in Salmon Arm and resides in Falkland, was selected to receive the medal for his mental-health advocacy and dedication to veterans. He learned of this through a phone call he received in June from Frances Gorman with the committee that oversees BC honours and awards. Heneghan was informed Drew Litke, a close friend, had nominated him to receive the medal.
"She said 'well, we鈥檝e had our annual meeting and the committee decided that you are going to receive the medal'," said Heneghan. "At that point I kind of was really taken aback and somewhat questioning reality and if this was truly something that was going on鈥�
"I do remember, 40-minutes later, phoning her back and saying, 'Hi, this was real right? We had a conversation you and I?' And she kind of chuckled at me and said yes we did, this is real, you are receiving this medal. Congratulations. She鈥� explained to me it is kind of a big deal and that I should feel pretty proud, and I do. But also incredulous."
Heneghan is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and a former paramedic. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in the late 2000s.
The 41-year-old was a pallbearer for a fallen comrade, Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, who was killed by a suicide bomber.
After the loss of his mother and sister to suicide, Heneghan's grief turned into action as he authored a poignant memoir, A Medic's Mind. The book tells the story of his journey through addiction, sobriety, confronting his traumatic past and the challenges of mental health.
Heneghan's latest book, Woven in War, a tribute Canadian medic Colin Wilmot, a close friend who was killed while serving in Afghanistan. The book chronicles the 13-year journey of an Edmonton Oilers shirt that belonged to Wilmot, from his former bunk in Kandahar to Heneghan鈥檚 North Okanagan home.
A vocal advocate for mental health awareness, Heneghan volunteers with The Memory Project, a speaker's bureau that arranges for veterans and Canadian Forces members to share their stories of military service at schools and community events across the country.
Through his speaking engagements, books and podcasts, Heneghan works to destigmatize mental health and encourage open conversations.
"Matthew鈥檚 dedication to mental health advocacy and community service has earned him admiration and respect from his community in Falkland and beyond," reads Heneghan's biography on the BC government website listing medal recipients.
Heneghan said he's known Litke since age six, and prior to the call from Gorman he had no knowledge of the nomination.
"I am deeply appreciative for him," said Heneghan. "I鈥檝e not always been at my best in this little life of ours, but he has been stalwart and been my very best friend, and I can鈥檛 thank him enough for having belief in me, not just nominating me but just through our life in general."
Heneghan said he'll be travelling to Victoria to receive the award during a ceremony at the Parliament Buildings later this month. He plans to frame the medal with another provincial medal he received in 2016, Alberta's Emergency Services Medal, received for his involvement in supporting emergency prevention, preparedness and response in the province for 12 years.
Having mostly accepted he is to receive the Medal of Good Citizenship, Heneghan said he is humbled by the company he is now in.
"I鈥檝e got a little imposter syndrome and when I read about some of these other recipients that I鈥檓 in the class with this year, and when I read about previous recipients, there鈥檚 some real young people getting this award and just seeing they have done things so impactful and meaningful鈥� it鈥檚 a pretty humbling thing to be a part of," said Heneghan.
More information about Heneghan, his books, podcast and other works, can be found at amedicsmind.com.
