Mindy Dougherty has had a challenging life, going through numerous traumatic events dating back to her earliest memories at age 4 when she says she was sexually abused by one of her brothers. She spent her childhood split between Florida with her mother and California with her father whom she describes as a drug addict and alcoholic. She joined the Army in 1995 as a combat field medic. She was first stationed in Germany, then deployed to Bosnia. While there, Dougherty became ill from a parasite causing numerous medical issues for years.
When she returned to the U.S., she worked for BOSS, a program to enhance the morale and welfare of single soldiers. She says she medically retired from the military in 1999, still dealing with pancreatitis connected to her illness overseas. Dougherty says she became an insulin-dependent diabetic.
As a civilian, she became a nurse and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in health sciences at the University of Colorado. She worked at a trauma center in Denver, then transitioned into radiology, then moved to Texas for a relationship that didn’t work out.
She suffered another medical issue that started with a bilateral ankle fracture that she says caused Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a chronic condition causing a burning sensations and extreme sensitivity. Dougherty says treatment lasted for years. She moved to Oregon in 2014 and now lives in Redmond.
“Oregon’s been the best place that I’ve ever lived,” she told the Source. “I really started becoming an advocate for veterans.”
Still recovering from CRPS, laid up in bed, Dougherty watched “Vikings” on the History Channel.
“I drew inspiration from that,” she says, “and I wrote my autobiography called “Resilient Warrior.” She dedicated the book to Michael Hirst, the writer and creator of “Vikings.” Published in 2020, it’s a personal journey through her life, but she hopes her experiences can help others.
“I wanted adults that had been through a lot of trauma to be able to understand that even though you’ve gone through this trauma, there still can be a light at the end of the tunnel…And it’s not easy. There’s going to be therapy that’s totally needed. I’m still in therapy for the things that had happened to me and still have anger about it, but maybe this will help people have some kind of hope for the future and maybe be able to see that there can be a change.”
Dougherty has written a new book, published in 2025, for children 12 and under called “A Dragon’s Voice.”
“The first lesson is, do not steal or take what’s not yours,” she explains. “Second is how to make friends and create a win-win situation. The third one is what I do has an effect on me and you and everybody else around me. And the last one, which is the most important one to me, is listen to your intuition.” Dougherty says she includes a message to parents about how to prevent kidnapping and sex trafficking.
Dougherty now works as a nurse for the state of Oregon, going into group or foster homes to work with people on Medicare or Medicaid who have severe intellectual disabilities.
“I’ve found that this is honestly been the best work I’ve ever done, and I think it’s that way because I feel like I’m making a huge difference.”
Dougherty just celebrated her 49th birthday on Dec. 8. Outside of work, she spends time walking the dry canyon trail in Redmond, gardening and writing poetry. For now, she doesn’t have any plans to write another book, but is proud of what she’s accomplished, despite the challenges.
“It’s not been always the greatest, but, I mean, at this point, I feel like I’ve come very far.”
This article appears in the Source January 1, 2026.
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