10-33

10-33 – the portable radio code every police officer dreads. “Officer down.”

On November 27, 1998, Laurie White, in her third year as a constable with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was that “Officer down.” Shot in the line of duty, Laurie had to have her right leg amputated below the knee. 10-33 – An Officer Down Steps Back Up is an inspiring memoir revealing her struggles to adjust to her new normal while working to return to active duty with the RCMP.

In this memoir, author Laurie White shares her physical, emotional, and psychological struggles, while making inspiring observations based on life experiences as a person with a disability, a first responder with post-traumatic stress disorder, and as a single parent. White’s experiences inform her belief that emotions resulting from pain, loss, grief, and trauma are highly relatable, and transcend individual circumstances. This memoir describes how facing our struggles with humility and humour can help us to overcome adversity and build resilience. Readers will learn that sharing vulnerabilities and challenges can create unique opportunities for personal growth, increased awareness, and higher levels of empathy. White shares her journey in an authentic way so that others facing adversity realize they are not alone in their ongoing struggles to achieve and maintain physical and mental health.