Co-Founder of SOS at Zac's Ridge
 Life is a journey and some of us chart the course we believe is right for us. As we travel the roads of our life, people, events and unforeseen roadblocks alter the course that we so carefully charted for ourselves. Things happen, people change and life presents challenges that we cannot control. This journey sometimes takes us places we don't want to go, and no matter how hard we struggle to go back to the beginning, we are powerless to change what has happened that lead us in a different direction – one we didn't choose to travel.
Gretna Carey, like so many of us, had a plan for her life. She expected to grow up, go to college, get married, start her career, have a family and watch her children and grandchildren live to experience all the joys that life offers. Also like many of us, that plan for her life was altered and she found herself on a road she'd never planned to travel.
In the beginning, Gretna's life went along as she had expected; she graduated in 1980 from Texas Tech University with a degree in accounting. She began her career 30 years ago, enjoying professional success during her employment with the national accounting firm of Price Waterhouse; and for many years as a self employed CPA. She also married and started a family. Gretna raised 3 beautiful children, and from all outward appearances, she was living the life she planned for herself.
But, as happens to many of us, an incident happened along the way that altered the course of her destiny forever. Gretna's son, Zac, struggled with depression, peer pressure, drugs and alcohol during his teenage years. Gretna and her family tried everything available to help Zac, including drug rehab, counseling and behavior modification therapy. Nothing seemed to work, and in1995, Gretna lost her battle to save her Zac. He was killed when he was only 23.
After the loss of her son, Gretna herself struggled with depression, but she hid it very well. She went through the motions of living, but it was clear to those who knew her that she had lost her ability to feel joy, express her sadness, or share her heartbreak with the people that loved her. For four long years, Gretna lived with the pain of this terrible loss, feeling hopeless and desperate, isolated and alone in her depression. Her friends and family saw through the mask she put on each morning and encouraged her to attend a program in Dallas that was originally owned, written and facilitated by Dr. Phil McGraw. After graduating from the Pathways training in 1999, Gretna began to heal, and she began to take back her life. As she began to feel, to hope, and to experience joy again, she began to live again.
Thus, her journey took a new direction. Gretna saw many families in need that wanted desperately to attend this training, walk away without it, due to the cost of the program. This was part of the inspiration for creating a training where money is not a deterrent for people in need. Her goal was to make this training as affordable as possible in order to make it available to anyone and everyone. The cost of the training is much lower than other training programs offered, and in special cases, SOS reduces or contributes to the registration fees so that everyone gets the help they need.
Her passion and belief in this training has grown along with her commitment to share it with others, in the hope that they will not have to lose their loved ones and suffer that unbearable pain. Now, through SOS at Zac's Ridge, Gretna is realizing her dream. From her vision and dedication, families that have tried everything possible to save their teens struggling as Zac did, can find help at SOS. Money does not have to be another huge roadblock in the path to living a complete life, full of joy. There is experiential training for everyone in every walk of life and SOS willingly does whatever they can to make sure those wishing to change their life, get the opportunity to do just that!
Gretna has two loving daughters and five precious grandchildren.
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