We are all just one life event away from disaster, and Tina Saucier knows how true that is.
She built a life many people would recognize – she raised a child, spent more than two decades in a committed marriage, and never once imagined she would find herself without a home, struggling to feel safe or steady, and experiencing anxiety for the first time. But life shifted, as it sometimes does, and Tina faced years of homelessness and the weight of trauma that brought constant anxiety and isolation.
In 2021, after moving from Maine to New Hampshire, Tina was connected to Lamprey Health Care’s Raymond location through the Department of Health and Human Services. What she found there was more than a doctor’s office. It was a team that saw her as a whole person.
“If anyone wants excellent whole-person medical care, Lamprey is the place,” Tina says.
At Lamprey, care did not come from just one provider. It came from a coordinated team who worked together to support both her physical and emotional health. Tina speaks with deep gratitude about Julie, Jameson, Wendy and Brooke. Each played a part in helping her continue to rebuild. Her relationship with her primary care provider, Jameson, has grown into one built on trust and consistency.
Wendy, she says, is relentless in the best way: “Wendy will always find a solution and guide me, even if Lamprey doesn’t have the service.”
Whether helping navigate resources or simply showing up week after week, Wendy makes sure Tina never feels alone in the process. Even small acts matter, like helping carry food from the Gather Bus to Tina’s car—another steady source of support that ensures Tina has what she needs.
Before Lamprey, Tina often felt desolate. The isolation of homelessness and the weight of past trauma made it hard to see beyond each day. But with the care and compassion she received, something began to change.
“They helped me not feel so alone,” she says.
Today, Tina is housed and has a safe place to call home. More than that, she has regained something just as critical: her sense of self-worth. She speaks about feeling more balanced, more hopeful, and more secure in her future.
“Lamprey gave me hope,” Tina says. “There is real love and compassion there.”
Her gratitude runs deep, especially for the people who made the biggest difference in her journey.
“If I won the lottery,” she says with a laugh, “I would give Julie Mills a million dollars.”
Behind the humor is something profound—a recognition of what it means to be cared for when you need it most.
Tina’s story is a reminder that circumstances can change for any of us. But it is also a testament to what is possible when care goes beyond treatment, when it meets people where they are, and when compassion leads the way.
