11/11/2025
Happy Veteran’s Day to all my brothers and sisters who have served and those who continue to serve 🇺🇸 please take some time today to think about and thank the veterans you know for the sacrifices they’ve made ♥️
Over the last few months I’ve realized that many of you do not know my origin story so here is an introduction:
I’m Ellie, the Founder/CEO of Apotheke DuJardin and the formulator and creator of our product line. I am also a proud Veteran. I joined in 2015 at 22 years old after a few years of nursing school, lost, and looking for a greater purpose. I served in the Air Force for 6.5 years, where I worked as a Respiratory Care Practitioner. I managed a wide array of patient populations and conditions, from NICU to end-of-life care and cardiopulmonary clinics. Trauma was my jam. Summer of 2019, I was pregnant and reassigned to Germany during the peak of COVID. During my time working in COVID, pregnant and postpartum, my dad was battling terminal cancer. After the enforcement of the 💉I being harassed everyday for months by my leadership to get it. I refused and was thrown on night shift and almost never saw my new baby. Between treating patients I would pump and watch the baby monitor to see Lennon. I was battling severe PPD. I soon decided to separate from the USAF. I wanted to be closer to home and my husband made a huge professional sacrifice to come with me to Germany so we moved here to Hagerstown in 2021.
The real world had been dropped right into my lap. I was suddenly alone in a new city with a baby I pretty much just met. I was suffering from chronic pain issues and a severe identity crisis. Shortly after my dad died.
I was in a bad place… as a lot of veterans are. I had a choice and decided to turn my life around. After the birth of Miles I enrolled in school full time where I got certified in herbalism, natural products manufacturing and holistic nutrition and wellness consulting. 3 years later we have the store and all of you beautiful people in our life 💗 when I say thank you, please know from the bottom of my heart I am forever grateful for you all 🫶🏻 I never expected the love and support I have received having this business.
