Man Has Last Cigarette And Decides To Take Own Life, Then He Sees Movement In The Bushes

Jan 24, 2019 by apost team

Fighting in the military can be a gruesome time for most people. Your home country tells you that you are fighting the enemy and everything is right. They tell you that you will be proud of yourself and this country, but lives ending, comrades getting injured; all of these things happen while in the military. Many people who fought in the army have post-traumatic stress disorder and face suicidal thoughts.

Army Sgt. Josh Marino fought in the army. He suffered a brain injury during his time. An explosive went off ten feet away from him. He dealt with bad episodes where the events would replay in his mind and the suffering wouldn't end.

He decided that he couldn't live like that anymore and the trauma was too much.

He wrote a suicide note and left it on his computer. He prepared his knives and knew how he was going to end it all. He decided to go out for one last smoke before he killed himself. As he was smoking, he heard a soft noise from the bushes near him. He found a black and white kitten.

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The kitten kept rubbing against Marino's legs. Marino broke down in tears as he held the kitty. He shared the cat with his other comrades while they were stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas. The cat gave him enormous comfort. His other comrades enjoyed petting their new friend as well.

He focused on what he could do to help the cat. He realized that he could care for others and others can care for him. He named the kitty "Scout". He fed the kitten tuna packets every day.

The kitten would eat it up and then sit in his lap. The kitten started recognizing Marino's voice. Marino called out to Scout when he would feed him. The cat didn't see him as a war veteran or as broken. One day, the kitten stopped coming and he was absolutely devastated to see his lifesaver leave his life.

Eventually, Marino began dating a girl he knew from high school. They decided to adopt a cat from the adoption center that was hosting an adoption event. Scout made such an impact on Marino's life, they decided to formally adopt one. 

While they were walking through the adoption center, a black and white paw began smacking Marino's left arm. He looked and saw it was Scout. Immediately, he opened the crate and held the kitty tight. There was no question about which cat they'd be adopting. They signed the adoption papers right there.

Marino was medically discharged from the army. He decided to move back to his hometown, Pittsburgh, where his girlfriend resided. She had three cats of her own, so they had a nice big family with Scout being the newest member. He eventually married his girlfriend.

He received his master's degree for clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling. He now works with the Department of Veteran Affairs as a counselor in order to help those who went through similar traumas he did.

Marino now eats healthier and has quit smoking. Marino credits Scout for saving his life. There is a short documentary about his relationship with Scout. Unfortunately, Scout passed away from leukemia. Marino held the cat in his arms when he passed away. He created the documentary in the memory of Scout. He thinks about Scout every day and how the cat saved his life. 

Tell us what you thought of this amazing story between cat and human. Pass this on to your friends and family so Scout's memory will live on.