The story of strength
By Yadira Gutierrez
A fierce determination to change her life has brought LaRrie Pattyn to nearly four years of sobriety.
“I feel I’m in a good position to be able to represent a woman who is in recovery. The last few years have been amazing. It is incredible what you can do in a short amount of time if you look at the grand scheme of life. I’m proud of myself. I represent what is possible,” said LaRrie Pattyn, Santiam Hospital and Clinics Disaster Case Manager with tears in her eyes.
Pattyn and her husband, Mike Vetter moved to Detroit, Oregon in 2015. After the Beachie Creek Wildfire in 2020, a chance trip into the Santiam Disaster Services office for a generator led to a job offer. Pattyn started out as a receptionist and worked her way into a disaster case manager position due to her previous experience case managing at the West Women’s and Children’s Shelter through The Salvation Army in Portland.
Pattyn’s implacable tenacity is a trait she credits with helping her succeed as a case manager. She said it’s a job that requires thinking outside of the box.
“I love finding creative solutions to situations. This is not a cookie-cutter job due to the various moving pieces. Insurance, FEMA, homelessness: It is an intricate puzzle, and with all those pieces, there is a lot of learning that needs to take place in order to adequately serve people,” she said.
Working with survivors fuels Pattyn’s passion for her job and her life.
“Making a difference in other people’s lives is what matters most. People taking time for me when I was going through my struggles with addiction is what made a difference,” Pattyn said.
Pattyn takes pride in knowing that her assistance allows the survivor to breathe a little easier or help lift a burden during the difficult recovery process. “I’m very proud of the survivors I work with. I strive to let them know there is someone willing to walk alongside them,” she said.
The Beachie Creek fire of 2020 consumed 194,000 acres of national forest and communities in its path, but what remained and grew stronger as a result was the sense of community.
“People are strong, full of empathy and compassion for each other, she said. “They are more like family than any other area I’ve ever lived in. People who lost everything were coming to help after the fire to help one another. They lost everything except for their drive to give, love for their people, and their community.”
Through her life journey as a mother of four children, recovery from addiction, and her work, Pattyn said she acquired many lessons to guide her journey forward.
“It comes down to choice, she said. “Choose wisely whom you surround yourself with. I can choose to listen to the ugly chatter. I can stay in the darkness or I can stay in the light. I chose the light, and I chose to see the positive in people. I chose to remain solution-oriented and to include rather than exclude. I chose to believe that there is a solution and seek it. There is no giving up.”