Backbone Series

TOMORROW - We launch BACKBONE AMPLIFIED a monthly podcast connecting veterans and their holistic wellness goals.

Meet our host:
Roger Sparks ()

and fellow veterans:

Shilo Harris
Dr Theresa Larson
Jason McCarthy
Mark Otto

as they share their stories, strategies, practices and victories on a mission to restore mental, physical and spiritual health to our Vets.

Get informed. Get empowered. Get connected.

Streaming on live on YouTube tomorrow - https://youtu.be/7FoCfUecRqQ

Another very close friend fell victim to repeated unsuccessful back surgeries and a prescription to Oxycontin. It’s tragically ironic that Sara and I are dedicated to helping chiropractors save lives by offering patients alternatives to the surgery and drugs, yet we’ve seen too many friends lose their lives in pain and addicted to pain killers. Ray Zarro was my producer and AD for many years when I first started directing TV commercials. These were big budget shoots which came along with lots and lots of stress. Ad agency people and clients can really get under a director’s skin on set. Ray was awesome at covering my back so I could do my job. Anyone who knows me knows that I get very “passionate” when I’m working. If anything, or anyone, gets in the way I tend to get even more “passionate.” Ray was the same way so we were a very productive team. He was the perfect combination of a tough man with a big heart. And he was as honest as he was loyal. Our careers took different paths when he and his wife Julia founded their own company called ZED INK. Two awesome human beings who built a highly successful live event company that quickly became a leader in that industry. Their client rooster includes Microsoft and Xbox. They’ve worked with extraordinary people like Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Keanu Reeves, Jessica Alba and the list goes on. Ray and Julia have raised their daughter Olivia with enough confidence that she plans on taking over ZED INK – one of these days. She’s still in high school! Alright, clearly Ray Zarro was one of the great guys. That aside, no one deserves the horror of having an initial back surgery in 2012 that was followed by SEVEN more over the years until those procedures eventually ended his life. He was living on Oxycontin for years and was incapable of leaving his home for the last three years of his life – except, of course, to have more surgeries. During this 9-year period Ray’s overall health plummeted. He had several heart attacks that required open heart surgeries. His last major operation last week was need because the “rods” in his reconstructed spine “broke” and needed to be replaced. During this operation he had three heart attacks. He died. Getting the call from Julia was heartbreaking and then I began to get very pi**ed off. In 2012, we started working with chiropractors. I didn’t really know any well at that point. But I did meet with Ray when he first started to have back problems. I highly suggested he go the chiropractic route before going under the knife. We both got back to our busy lives and I didn’t keep on him to see a chiropractor. Clearly his medical doctors convinced him that chiropractic wasn’t an option. I don’t honestly know how seriously he considered going to a chiropractor or if he had and didn’t buy into the modality. I didn’t know exactly how bad it got until the call from Julia yesterday. Knowing what I now know about chiropractic I feel pretty damn bad that “perhaps” had I been more persuasive with getting Ray to a chiropractor he’d be alive and well. Wow. A tough pill has just been swallowed.

Get a behind the scenes look at how director, producer, and cameraman, Bobby Sheehan, creates the Backbone series with decorated military veteran, Roger Sparks. Hear how his extensive production experience has given a voice to the struggle and hope for better healthcare for military veterans and civilians alike. Watch the trailer here.

Bobby Sheehan Backbone Statement

Roger explores the misconception of "the broken veteran." In visiting with other organizations, he helps bring awareness of former military veterans' fortitude and how their training and experience have equipped them for great things. Learn how these organizations are providing purpose after combat. Watch the trailer here.

Mercy Love and Grace Trailer

Get an intimate look at the struggles of military veterans as they reintegrate into civilian life and how others are coming alongside to offer hope. Watch the trailer here.

The Mad Man Trailer

Go with Roger as he connects with other veterans and Medal of Honor recipients to speak openly about the trauma of war. On this final leg of his journey, Roger visits war memorials and his childhood home in Fort Worth before returning to Alaska.

11 Never Forget Trailer

Roger visits the world's first & largest chiropractic college, and meets with professionals to dive deeper into chiropractic's holistic approach. With an integrative process, chiropractic can promote self-healing in the body and provide a non-drug option for patients.

Higher Education 3 Trailer

Travel with Roger as he visits Life University, home to one of the world's largest chiropractic schools, and speaks with healthcare professionals and neuroscientists about neuroplasticity and the body's ability to heal itself. Watch the trailer here.

Higher Education 2 Trailer