VET ADVOCATES FOR UTILIZING SERVICE DOGS

Lorilei Lebruska was raised on a Nebraska family farm. At 18, she joined the Army in 1988 and several years later was deployed to war in the Middle East.

During her year at war, Lebruska was on the front lines assigned to an intelligence unit searching for enemy locations to coordinate artillery strikes. Her unit traveled close to the enemy and took constant missile fire.

After an ammunition depot was bombed near Lebruska’s location, she began feeling disoriented — numbness, fatigue, vertigo and loss of balance. Her memory and thinking were fogged.

Eventually, she was diagnosed with PTSD and nerve gas-induced multiple sclerosis (MS) with resulting brain damage.

“I didn’t want to give up. My dad instilled in us a strong work ethic,” said Lebruska, who was the youngest of four children. “We worked on the farm from early ages. He would say ‘sun’s up, time to work!’”

Despite ongoing MS effects, after her military discharge Lebruska attended college, graduating in 1995. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the Mayo Clinic in 1999.

She succeeded through determination with help from medication and steroid treatment. She worked from home during periodic debilitating relapses.

Lebruska came to San Diego for post-doctorate work in 2000. During the next nine years she worked as a scientist at Scripps Research Institute and several leading San Diego biotech companies, rising to assistant director where she supervised a staff.

Her employers were aware of Lebruska’s MS and allowed her to work from home during relapses.

However, in 2009 she ex