My son, SPC Nicholas Newby enlisted in the Idaho National Guard in 2008 and was deployed to Iraq with his unit in 2010. Nick was 10 months into his 12-month deployment on July 7, 2011 when an IED was detonated near the Humvee that he, Nathan Beyers and Jason Rzepa were in. On that Thursday, we went to work, came home, had dinner and enjoyed the warm evening.

That was the day two uniformed military personnel came to our house, read us their script and stood helplessly by as our world shattered into a million pieces. 

I did return to my job as a Registered Nurse with the State of Idaho about 2 months after losing Nick. But I was completely changed. Grief of that magnitude has a way of seeping into your DNA and changes you on a cellular level. Being Nick’s mother defined me. Losing him defined me as well. And I had to do something with that. 

I left my job with the state and sat on the couch for about a year and half and thought hard about what I was going to do with this new life without my son. During that time, a lot of Nick’s battle buddies were struggling. They were struggling with PTSD, TBI, financial and relationship problems. And they were calling me. And I thought . . . that’s what I can do. I can help these young men and women that are having a hard time now that they are home. 

Newby-ginnings is doing that and more. It is the collateral beauty that has occurred after immeasurable tragedy.