Miss Missouri Contestant Fights First Responder PTSD Stigma

When Addison Ditamore‘s father told her he could not attend another firefighter’s funeral, the conversation stayed with her.

“One in three first responders experience post-traumatic stress, but only 20 to 30 percent of them receive the care that they really need,” she told Metro Voice.

This statistic is one reason why Ditamore, Kansas Citian and recent Miss Northwest pageant winner, is so passionate about her cause. Inspired by her family’s military and first responder background, Ditamore created “Answering the Call Within,” an organization dedicated to advocating for mental health awareness and removing the stigma surrounding post-traumatic stress.

Ditamore, a 2025 graduate from Lee’s Summit High School and current student at the United States Air Force Academy, is the current titleholder of Miss Northwest Missouri. She competed in the 87th Miss Missouri Pageant recently in Mexico, Mo.

She shares her initial inspiration for competing was her Air Force Academy application. “I really wanted something that would stand out on a resume,” she says. “And I’ve always seen pageants, and I really wanted to see if the stereotype was real that it’s all about looks and stuff like that.”

Once she took part, she discovered she loved public speaking, which she now does regularly through her organization. Ditamore often gives presentations at fire and police academies locally and nationwide. Speaking at a fire academy was actually how the organization began.

Through her father, who teaches at a fire academy, Ditamore was able to present to soon-to-be-graduates on the topic of mental health. More connections and opportunities followed, and “Answering the Call Within” was born.

Answering the Call

The organization’s name was inspired by a few different aspects.

…his was about them and about what was on the inside.

“Everyone always says they went into the military because they were answering a call to service,” Ditamore explains. “Or, with my dad being a first responder, you always run these medical calls, or you run this kind of call. And so I kind of brought in both the military aspect and the first responder aspects…And I twisted it to show that this was about them and about what was on the inside.”

One of Ditamore’s biggest goals is to “Drop the D” in PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She believes the word “disorder” paints post-traumatic stress as a weakness instead of a natural human response. She also advocates for being proactive rather than reactive and recognizing mental health issues before they get out of control.

In intense fields like the military and first responders, she says, there is even more of a stigma about mental health. “I think society and the community often have the stigma that in these career fields, mental health is a weakness because these guys can be six feet tall and absolutely jacked. And anytime someone speaks out about mental health, it’s like, ‘well, you signed up to do this job. What did you expect?’”

High stress occupations and mental health

Ditamore has seen the effects these careers have on mental health firsthand. Her brother and father both worked for the fire department in Independence, Mo.

“Within two years, three months, and seven days, they lost four firefighters, whether it was due to a medical emergency or suicide,” she shares.

For her dad to talk about funerals, it was somewhat of a milestone. “I think that was the first time I ever experienced [my dad] be emotional and vulnerable with me. And that’s kind of the moment that really sparked that interest in advocating for mental health.”

Through “Answering the Call Within,” Ditamore educates people in the field about early signs of post-traumatic stress and the resources available to help them. She’s also led events promoting fitness in first responders.

I could see the moment of realization where they’re like, holy cow, this is serious.”

Ditamore recalls a visit to a fire academy where she saw the impact her words had. “Mental health is so preached about now that I think it was just another conversation in their head.” It wasn’t until she shared her personal experience with her family’s mental health that the message clicked. “I could see the moment of realization where they’re like, holy cow, this is serious.”

She’s also seen benefits through her work with the organization War Horses for Veterans in her freshman year of high school. She grew up with horses, but this was different. “Seeing how the horses take first responders and veterans who are normally so on edge about everything…and make them calm down…has always stuck with me.

Since then, Ditamore has been an advocate for equine therapy.

Looking ahead, Ditamore hopes to continue her mission as an Air Force Academy student and is grateful for the opportunities the academy will provide. “[It] will put me in a position where I am surrounded by future leaders,” she says. “I’m already around the people I want to talk to and spread this information to.”

Whether she’s speaking at fire departments, educating her peers, or preparing for her own military career, Ditamore’s mission is clear: raising awareness of mental health challenges and providing support to those who want to answer the call within.

She firmly believes what she does will also impact her own life. “I’m no longer just preaching to people that I have known or I want to get to know. I’m also now having to listen to my own advice.”

–Lyra Thompson | Metro Voice

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