Carla couldn’t talk to anyone about the way she felt. Her family didn’t believe in depression or mental illness and just told her to keep busy and be happy.
During a school presentation, she heard from someone who grew up in a family like hers. Someone who not only considered suicide, but had tried to kill herself. For the first time, Carla realized that there was someone who could understand her. She wasn’t alone.
For fifteen minutes after the special presentation ended, Carla spoke to this caring adult about what she was going through. She received information about people to talk with who could help her.
Since that presentation, Carla has been able to find support and is now doing well in school. While her parents still do not believe in mental illness, Carla knows she’ll be there if her younger siblings ever go through the darkness she did. Without your support of United Way, this school presentation might not have taken place and Carla would not have received the help she desperately needed.
