Today, I’m asking for something that is very personal to me not just as a parent, but as someone who understands firsthand how important mental health support can be. I’m asking my friends, my family, and anyone who is willing to listen to consider donating to help children, teens, and families have access to mental health services.

Mental health is something that can affect an entire family. In my own family, I have seen the challenges that come with ADHD, depression, and anxiety. I have seen how difficult it can be for children and teens to understand what they are feeling, communicate what they need, or believe that things can get better. I’ve also seen how those struggles can affect parents, siblings, and the entire household.But I have also seen the other side, the difference that support can make.

I know this because I have needed mental health services myself. Getting help was not a sign that I was weak or that I had failed. It was one of the things that helped me understand myself, work through things I was struggling with, and become a better version of myself. The impact didn’t stop with me. The work I did on my own mental health also affected my children. When I learned healthier ways to cope, communicate, and respond, it changed the way I showed up for my family and for my children.

It also helped me recognize the importance of getting support for my kids as they navigated the grieving process, anxiety, and depression, as well as receiving academic guidance related to ADHD. With the right help, I have seen my children grow, gain confidence, better understand their emotions, and develop tools to face challenges. Watching that growth has shown me how meaningful and lasting mental health support can be for an entire family.

That is why I believe children and families deserve access to help before they reach a crisis. Sometimes a child just needs someone to listen. Sometimes a teenager needs a safe place where they can talk without feeling judged. Sometimes parents need guidance because they simply don’t know what to do anymore. And sometimes a family needs someone to help them understand that they are not alone.

Unfortunately, not every family has the resources to get that help. A donation may seem like a small thing, but to a family who is struggling, it can mean access to a counselor, a support program, an assessment, resources, or services that they otherwise might not be able to afford. We cannot always see what someone is carrying on the inside. A child who is acting out may be struggling. A teenager who is withdrawing may be hurting. A parent who seems overwhelmed may simply be trying to hold everything together. Mental health support can give families hope, tools, understanding, and the opportunity to heal together.

I’m asking you to donate because I know personally that help works. I know what it feels like to need support, and I know how receiving that support can create a ripple effect that reaches far beyond one person. If your donation can help one child feel heard, one teenager feel less alone, one parent feel more capable, or one family find hope during a difficult time, then that donation matters.

Thank you for taking the time to hear my story, for supporting this cause, and for helping make mental health care more accessible to the children and families who need it. Because asking for help shouldn’t be something anyone has to be ashamed of and no child or family should have to struggle alone.

Just for reference this is how much these services would cost a family in need:

$125 — 1 therapy session $150 — 1 educational class for caregivers $200 — 1 education and training session $300 — 1 psychiatric evaluation $1,500 — 12 therapy sessions