{"id":14282,"date":"2026-08-20T14:39:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T19:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/blueprint\/?p=14282"},"modified":"2026-08-20T14:43:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T19:43:28","slug":"2026-blue-kc-answering-the-call-honoree-macy-oswald-month-of-august","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/blueprint\/community-and-culture\/sports-partnerships-community-and-culture\/2026-blue-kc-answering-the-call-honoree-macy-oswald-month-of-august\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Blue KC Answering the Call Honoree Macy Oswald \u2013 Month of August"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An Amazing Journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The source of trauma for front-line emergency personnel is pretty obvious. Seeing horrific scenes in military battles or emergency situations for police officers and firefighters can lead to stress that impacts far beyond the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dispatchers like Macy Oswald, that trauma is more hidden. But it\u2019s every bit as real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe hear the initial calls,\u201d said Oswald, a communications specialist for the city of Lee\u2019s Summit, Mo. \u201cWe hear the panic, we hear all the chaos, but we never get the closure of the situation. We don\u2019t see what happens next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe get to learn that they\u2019re transporting a patient or something, but we don\u2019t get to see anything beyond that. So we build up this story in our heads that\u2019s usually way different than what really happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes crews share the results with the dispatchers to alleviate the uncertainty, but that\u2019s not always possible. Dispatchers can bottle up the pressure while moving on to the next call, at least until that bottle fills up and they can\u2019t take it anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oswald recognized that fact and set out to help her fellow dispatchers. She pursued professional training opportunities and demonstrated a commitment to community impact by sharing her personal story to support others, reduce stigma and reinforce that individuals are not alone in their experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of her work, Oswald is the August recipient of the \u201cBlue KC Answering the Call\u201d award, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, benefitting The Battle Within. The Battle Within is an organization that helps former military personnel and first responders cope with that sometimes-hidden trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might not be one specific call or situation that puts someone like Oswald over the edge. It can be an accumulation of events.<\/p>\n\n\n

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KANSAS CITY, MO- Aug 7: Photo from the game between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago Cubs at Kauffman Stadium on Friday August 7, 2026, in Kansas City, MO (Photo by Jason Hanna\/Kansas City Royals)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cFor me, it was losing a close family friend who was in the fire department that caused me to think, \u2018I don\u2019t know if I can still do this,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cA lot of my coworkers were thinking, \u2018We\u2019re probably never going to see her again.\u2019 They were really worried about me, because they knew that it hit a little bit more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always been my thing to check on everyone else. Everyone else has to be okay, but I\u2019ll just deal with it myself. I had everyone checking on me, and I was like, \u2018Please don\u2019t check on me. I don\u2019t want you to check on me anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She recognized that her reaction wasn\u2019t healthy, so Oswald invested herself into The Battle Within. And recognizing how that helped her, Oswald has become a dedicated mentor with The Battle Within, walking alongside participants on their healing journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Battle Within made me let people in and let people help me,\u201d she continued. \u201cIt gave me some good tools to realize when I\u2019m not okay, and then even just doing things to stay centered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best part of TBW, in Oswald\u2019s eyes, is that her fellow participants have been in those same situations, so they know what she\u2019s going through. She doesn\u2019t have to explain the stress to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoing through a cohort almost makes you take that journey together,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s almost your own journey, because you\u2019re getting to walk alongside these people. People walk alongside your journey with you, so you\u2019re walking alongside others on their journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause of The Battle Within, I\u2019ve become more of a voice for mental health. I\u2019m very passionate about mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Oswald was selected as a member of the Mid-America Regional Council peer support team. Her goal is to enhance her service on her department\u2019s peer support team to support the mental health and well-being of her colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And she is most proud of being a recipient of the Order of the Flame, a symbol of purpose, service and resilience. This recognition serves as a daily reminder of her commitment to those she serves and supports, both professionally and personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s extra special for her because the recognition came from her fellow TBW alumni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou receive it for showing what it means to be what The Battle Within embodies,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was a shock, but it was absolutely amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely amazing: that\u2019s a good way to describe Macy Oswald.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Blue KC supports the Kansas City community through impactful sports partnership programs<\/h3>

Blue KC Answering the Call program<\/p> <\/div>\n

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