LISTEN: Volunteers Helping Cresswell, OR Wounded Iraq War Veteran Rebuild

(Photo Credit:  Gini Davis of the Creswell Chronicle 2019)

Cresswell, OR – Jayson Southmayd and his wife Misti have been through a lot.  And through it all, they seem to have never lost their hope, zest for life or burning desire to help others.

Jayson served multiple tours as a Marine and Army Medic.  He was badly injured, more than once yet insisted upon continuing to fight and serve his fellow soldiers.  After returning home for good, he has endured one surgery after another while battling a variety of conditions including PTSD.

Jayson adores dogs and is an accomplished dog trainer.  He has enjoyed helping others train dogs and has spent time training dogs to place into other homes as therapy animals.  He also enjoyed volunteering at local schools and working with kids.  That became impossible once the pandemic hit.

In 2018, the huge “Snowmaggeden” snow storm helped bring a large tree down onto their home.  They used whatever insurance and resources they had with a contractor to try and repair it.  Unfortunately, that was a disaster.  The contractor ended up doing more damage than repair, leaving their home uninhabitable and the Southmayd’s out tens of thousands of dollars.

Enter Jason Bush, CBO, Building Official for the City of Cottage Grove.  Jason immediately bonded with Jayson and Misti and the Southmayd’s and decided he would make it his personal mission to get them back to a place where could live and work and be happy.  Many hours of work has gone on behind the scenes as Jason has tried to bring together people willing to donate time, money, materials, expertise and resources to try and make the Southmayd family whole.  All those involved feel compelled to try and do things for a war hero, friend and servant like Jayson who has given so much to his country and community.

If you feel you can be of any service to this family, you go support them through the Go Fund Me Page set up by Jason Bush.  Or you can contact Jason directly.

Jason Bush, CBO / Building Official / City of Cottage Grove / (541) 952-1456 Email:  [email protected]

This written story is only a small portion of Jayson’s journey.  KXL’s Brett Reckamp interviewed Jayson and Misti.  Their edited conversation can be heard here: