Brendan McDonough’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. A heroin addict with a daughter on the way, McDonough was facing a bleak future. After recovering from that addiction, he was given a chance to completely change his life and serve a higher purpose as a member of an elite squad of firefighters. Through painstaking work, unshakeable faith, and devotion to his new family, Brendan became an invaluable member of the “Granite Mountain Hotshots.”

After surviving the Yarnell Hill Wildfire and an unfathomable loss of 19 of his fellow firefighters in 2013, Brendan McDonough suffered from bouts of deep depression and intractable Post-Traumatic Stress. But the family who needed him, his faith in God, and the memory of his brothers’ sacrifice inspired him to keep living through his darkest moments and pushed him to begin helping others. McDonough’s story of struggle and redemption leaves audiences uplifted, encouraging them to become their best selves and to seek out support when struggling.

Overcoming obstacles, Recovering Addict, Addiction, Heroes, Hometown Heroes, Mental Health, Overcoming Depression, Depression, Christianity, Christian speakers, Christian Motivational, Authors, Opioid Epidemic