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“It was so severe that I couldn’t even leave my own bed. It was essentially overnight. I was fine, now I’m not fine,” Davis said. “God and I had many conversations, not that I believed in God. It was me venting and angry. And I finally got a response.”

Davis and two other administrators were part of the 13 who received the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation at a ceremony on March 29 in Richmond B.C. The award recognizes Canadians who provide outstanding volunteer service to veterans.

“’Send up the count’ is an infantry term,” Davis said. “What it means is if you’re eight people walking in the bush, you whisper ‘send up the count’ and the last guy starts at one and it carries up to the front guy. So basically, it’s to make sure that we’re all here.”

Whether it’s eight people or the Facebook group’s nearly 12,000, the sentiment behind the term is watching out for each other.

While the group was originally maintained by the team of administrators, it’s become largely self-sufficient. Members reach out and provide support to others regardless of time or distance.

“Obviously it was an honour to receive the award, but the reality is the work is done by the 12,000 members,” Davis said. “We are simply seven administrators who keep the conversation clean, make sure that the resources are there and protect our members from harm.”

Send Up the Count was formed in 2013 after one of the administrators experienced the suicide of someone close to them. Davis joined in December that year, following an experience in which he helped a veteran in crisis.