Full of passion to serve his nation, Josh Marino bravely accepted his duties as an army man deployed in Southwest Baghdad, Iraq.

He fought hard alongside his comrades, laying his life on the line for the good of many.

One day, while on the field, the soldier unfortunately met tragedy as a mortar attack not even ten meters from his right hit him, causing him to sustain a head injury. It was a fateful day that certainly changed his life and his perspective about living.

He eventually recovered from the incident, but the pain and the trauma stayed with the man. He suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, a common condition that afflicts soldiers who came back from war.

It was an invisible wound that remains painful even when all the physical wounds have healed. The mental suffering continues even after the battles have ceased.

“A lot of us come home without realizing we are bringing the war home with us,” Josh Marino shared.

The internal struggle was so unbearable that it drove the soldier to think about taking his own life.

That particular day, Marino decided to end everything. He took out a knife, wrote his final letter and went out of their barracks to light one more cigarette as water from a light rainfall drizzled away.

He was intent on quitting life when suddenly he heard a soft meow coming from the bushes beside him.

When he looked down, he saw a kitten with black and white fur rubbing his tiny body against his shoes. He was looking at him as if asking him to pet him. He knelt down and touched the kitten, not realizing that this little cat’s presence was about to change his life forever.

“I stopped thinking about all my problems, and started thinking about all his problems, and what I could do to help him,”

He was in a very dark place at the time, but the little cat moved something inside him and gave him a reason to live another day. Josh found himself waiting daily for the cat to visit. He would always give the cat some tuna, and he would gratefully hop onto his lap as if saying thank you for the food.

Eventually, Josh and the cat grew closer and started to form a friendship. But, it was not for long. A day came when the army man called and the kitten did not respond. He was dismayed, but the cat never showed.

It was a sad realization, but life went on for Josh. In time, Josh fell in love with Becky, a woman she knew from high school. They started dating and a few months later, they were well on their way to married life.

As they were walking around the community one day, the couple chanced upon an Adopt-a-thon wherein pets are put for adoption. Josh and Becky were looking into one crate after another when suddenly, a tiny paw with black and white fur smacked Josh in the arm.

It was the cat from the bushes!

The soldier’s heart knew who it was even before he saw him. He did not waste any time. He took the cat, cuddled him, and handled the paper works so they can go home together.

Josh named the cat “Scout” and from then on, the duo became inseparable. They moved to Pittsburgh and after about a year, Josh and Becky finally tied the knot and started a big family: Josh, Becky, Scout, and Becky’s three cats of her own.

Since meeting Scout, Josh went nowhere but to a better life. He became healthier, riding his bike, and even quit smoking. He was determined to a better version of himself.

He went back to school and eventually earned his Master’s Degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. He got to work with other veterans who are in need of his help in battling the effects of PTSD in their lives. Josh knew how it felt and he wanted to help them the best way he can.

But, not all days are meant to be happy.

Josh came home from work one day and realized that Scout was not by the door, waiting for him. He was worried that he might be sick and this fear turned out to be true when the cat got diagnosed with feline leukemia.

He was given a blood transfusion in the vet clinic, which allowed Scout to come home where he received the royal treatment in the next couple of weeks.

And one night, the hero of Josh’s life finally rested.

They tried to rush him to the vet, but it was too late. Scout passed away in Josh’s arms.

“It hurt so much. Even before he was my cat, before he even knew me that well, Scout saved my life. He put me on a different path. He gave me the confidence to try to come back from all the adversity that I was feeling.”

Scout may have gone to paradise, but Josh will always remember him as a hero who saved him from himself when he was at the lowest point in his life. He grew better and learned to give himself another shot at life because a cat such as his beloved Scout was around to remind him to always fight.

Watch the video below to know more about this moving story of love and friendship.

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Source: YouTube, PTSD