Dan’s puppy love ‘MY DOG SAVED ME!’
The Wellington star says he wouldn’t be here without Lego, his family and his canine companion
They say dog is man’s best friend, but Dan Mulholland’s mate Smudge takes this to another level – the Lego Masters NZ star says his support dog helped save his life, along with Lego and his family.
“I had a mental health breakdown at the end of 2018 and I was diagnosed with PTSD,” the reality star, 46, reveals to Woman’s Day, adding that Smudge, eight, would pick up on his distress as he recounted the trauma he witnessed during his six years in the army and 12 years as a paramedic.
“When I was doing my therapy sessions and would get upset, he’d start licking me, get on my lap or sit on my chest. It’s the weight that feels comforting. That would bring me back.”
But when Dan flew from Wellington to Auckland to film Lego Masters without Smudge, he started to spiral. He wasn’t sleeping well and withdrew mentally – until he was reunited with Smudge, eight, in one of last week’s episodes.
“I thought Lego Masters would be so exciting, I didn’t consider the anxiety of being away from home, my wife and the dog,” explains
Dan, who was diagnosed with PTSD three years ago, when one of his kids innocently did something that triggered a flashback.
He completely lost his temper and his family was totally shocked. “There was just this sudden cascade of emotions and feelings that I couldn’t control for days,” recalls Dan, adding that he didn’t leave the house for four months and can’t face returning to his medical career. “I’m not mentally strong enough to deal with it any more.”
Veterans Affairs helped Dan see specialists and funded a creative digital marketing course. He has also attended Lego-based therapy workshops.
“I loved Lego as a kid and
I still have my childhood set,” says Dan. “My oldest boy Cody is 19 and I bought him Lego before he was even born. My wife Erin and I sat on the floor of his room to build it and put it all on the shelf for his arrival.”
Also parents to Georgia, 18, and Alex, 16, Dan says he and Erin have spent more time building Lego masterpieces since his breakdown.
“Out of everyone, she’s had it the hardest. She’s the glue that holds the household together when I’m struggling.”
But Lego has given Dan new purpose. “Because I was having issues leaving the house, I started live-streaming my builds. I was talking Lego online and then started discussing mental health stuff.”
Having built a following, Dan has now formed a new business, Bricks Engage, taking the plastic blocks to schools. He says, “I’m sharing that love of Lego with kids who might have autism or ADHD. We just sit, build together and talk. I’ve really relied on Lego as my own personal therapy for the past three years. Without the Lego community and my family, I wouldn’t be here.”