Beacon 5-21

Page 2A THE BEACON May 2021
By
Tamara
Taylor
Change- Make It.
We all know what it’s like
to need a hug once in a while.
But imagine being a child, perhaps
not even a teenager yet,
and having to testify in a legal
matter. How intimidating!
That very thought runs
through Lynn Deddens’ mind
every day when she enters her
office. She and her staff have
to ask questions of youngsters
in our community while maintaining
decorum and detachment.
At the end of the day,
I’m sure going home without
taking that baggage with you
is virtually impossible.
Ms. Deddens doesn’t leave
it all behind when she leaves
the office. She continually
tries to think of ways to make
things better. Especially ways
to help the children deal with
things that they should never
have to endure. Her dedication
to making things better is
evident in Ms. Dedden’s latest
commitment which involves
adding a new member to
her family- a Goldendoodle
named Bailey.
So cute, right? But Bailey is
so much more.
We all took away experiences
from the tragedy that
occurred on 9/11. Ms. Deddens
noticed something that probably
never crossed any of our
minds. She saw how people,
both near the sites and across
the country, found comfort
in being with animals. After
working on a very emotional
case, Ms. Deddens pondered
how she could bring comfort
to those who are dragged into
such stressful situations. She
decided to search for a dog
who could support victims during
their involvement in cases.
Think about that for a moment.
Raising a puppy. A squiggly
little bundle of fur with no
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idea of how to behave. Chewing,
potty training, the work
that goes along with bringing a
puppy into one’s life.
All for the sake of helping
innocent victims.
Don’t get me wrong. Ms.
Deddens gets all of the wonderful
benefits that a loving
puppy brings to a new home.
However, just like babies,
puppies grow up. (My closest
friends have heard this just a
few thousand times!)
The law protects the right
of the accused to face his or
her accuser. Imagine how
terrifying that must be for the
accuser, whether a child or
an adult. To sit on a stand in
court- alone. No one beside
him or her; no one to say, “It’s
okay,” or provide a touch of
support.
But a dog can be right there
at one’s side in court.
Ms. Deddens has taken on
the responsibility of raising
Bailey and having her trained
to be an emotional support dog,
trained to provide a soothing
presence to children involved
with the court system. She is
doing this at her own cost- no
taxes or public funding have
been or will be used for Bailey
or her training. The result will
be that Bailey’s presence and
demeanor will help children be
more open with child advocates
which will aid in their
healing process.
Ms. Deddens is far more
invested in the community
than anyone knows. She is
active in her church and can
always be found lending a
helping hand at festivals. For
years she has also been on
United Way’s action council
and is an integral part of every
gathering, every fundraiser,
every cookout. Karen Snyder,
Director at United Way of
Greater Cincinnati, offered,
“Lynn Deddens never thinks
of herself. She always thinks
of others first.”
The career path that Ms.
Deddens has taken has not
been typical. At an early age,
she knew she wanted to go
into law enforcement but was
unaware of all of the opportunities
and what each entailed.
She started on a path of training
and education that was
much different than her final
path of becoming a lawyer
and a prosecutor. Ms. Deddens’
experience led her to
collaborate with Judge Sally
McLaughlin. Together they
created the Leadership in Law
Program where high school
students have an opportunity
to learn about the law and the
legal system through handson
experience. What better
way to learn about career
choices than to ask questions
and interact with those
already in the field? A very
forward-thinking move from
both Ms. Deddens and Judge
McLaughlin.
Ms. Deddens is an active
member of Tri Kappa in the
Lawrenceburg Pi Chapter, a
group of women dedicated
to promoting charity, culture,
and education throughout our
community. With the support
of her fellow sorority members,
Ms. Deddens has been
able to present drug awareness
programs to middle school
students, making them aware
of the pitfalls of drug use.
She has also developed and
launched educational presentations
called Kappa Cares for
Kids. The program is designed
for parents and children over
Lynn Deddens and Bailey.
age ten and is entitled Strategies
to Protect Your Family
From Substance Abuse. The
goal is to prevent one wrong
choice from devastating lives
and destroying futures. Education
about substance abuse
and information about making
positive life choices is Ms.
Deddens’ message throughout
these programs.
Thank you, Lynn Deddens,
for being dedicated to keeping
our community safe, showing
compassion for those in need,
and always putting others first.
As Paul Harvey used to say,
“And now…for the rest of the
story.” (funny how catchphrases
one hears as a small
child stick with you over the
years.) This month the wonderful,
talented Bob Waples
shared in his article a pearl of
wisdom that I had never heard
before. One that I will certainly
never forget. “The 3 C’s
of life are… choices, chances,
changes. YOU must make
a choice to take a chance or
your life will never change.”
You just made a big change
in someone else’s life by sharing
that, Bob Waples. Thank
you.
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