BARRIE, Ontario - s4story -- Heather Down, owner of Wintertickle Press was visiting Newfoundland for her mother's 90th birthday. Before Down's flight back to Toronto, she went for a stroll on the beach trail in Deer Lake, Newfoundland. She happened upon a beautiful rock with the Superman logo painted on it. This was very poignant for her as her company was about to release a memoir by Corporal (Retired) Matthew Heneghan, chronicling his battles with PTSD, depression, addiction, and the fallout of suicide. Timely, as September 10 is the World Health Organization's Suicide Prevention Awareness Day, and a theme throughout this book is "Superman."

She decided to bring the rock art back to Ontario with her. She and Heneghan have agreed that this rock will go cross country on his book tour, as a symbol of suicide prevention awareness. They will chronicle its journey and post photos online on social media @amedicsmind.

Trying to figure out who the artist was, Heneghan posted to the NL rock art Group on FB:

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" ... I have recently written a book...I worked as a medic in the army for 6 years and then became a civilian paramedic until 2017… I was diagnosed with PTSD. My book chronicles that journey and many other perfidious aspects of my life. One of the hardest chapters to write was the one about my mum… I lost her to suicide in November… the same year as my diagnosis...

She was a kind, complex woman. When I was a boy, she learned rather quickly of my love for Superman. I mean I adored the man in red and blue (there's even a whole chapter dedicated to that adoration)! My mother made me a Superman outfit that I donned at every occasion possible… even in school.

My publisher serendipitously came across something remarkable while in Newfoundland—a rock painted with the Superman logo!

I was hoping to call on the members of this page to help find its artist… I would like to gift a copy of the book to them as well as a hefty thank you for their work. I would also like to inform them that we have decided to take the rock on tour with us while we do book signings! It will be on the desk or table of wherever I am situated, signing books!"

Within a couple of hours Heneghan did receive a message to his inbox that a fellow paramedic and PTSD sufferer was had also been touched by suicide was possibly the painter. Turned out she had painted a different Superman rock, but the connection was invaluable, regardless.

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Then, another message revealed the true artist many hours later. The painter had deactivated her Facebook account and had heard about Heneghan's post from a friend. Tara Pinksen, of Deer Lake was the mystery artist. She had painted the rocks with her children and they had hid several of them on August 25th along the trail near the Deer Lake Beach. The publisher must have happened upon the Superman rock later that very day.

In the subsequence exchanges between Heneghan and Pinksen, she mentioned that she was having a rough time lately, and getting news that her artwork would be traveling the country made her day--Proof that Newfoundland Rock Art certainly spreads joy. Heneghan will be sending a copy of his book, A Medic's Mind, to Pinksen as a thank you. The book is currently available for pre-order with Indigo.ca. The Canadian release date of the book is October 15, 2019 and will be available through all major distributors.

A Medic's Mind
ISBN 9781894813976
Wintertickle Press
$25.95
Visit Matthew at http://www.amedicsmind.com