My name is Elise Comello, and this fundraiser is for my godchild. Due to the sensitivity of this topic and the child being a minor, names are being withheld.

My godchild is 15 years old, is neurodivergent, queer, and gender non-conforming. In addition to being a marginalized child, over the last year they have experienced some traumas completely outside their control, including severe parental substance abuse warranting inpatient treatment, familial stress, and subsequent parental separation and divorce. Their mental health has suffered as a result, and they have been hospitalized twice, including an escalated suicide attempt 2 weeks ago.

As a psychotherapist who specializes in trauma, I was able to get them into a healing intensive with the most gifted clinician I’ve ever met in the field, and miraculously the intensive is next week, incredibly rare for this clinician to have an opening so soon.

This healing intensive gets to the root of trauma, and is 25 hours of therapy in 5 days (which is 6 months of therapy in a long weekend’s time and I have personally seen the results come out of these intensives with others).

My godchild’s therapist, their parents, and other involved clinicians all agree that my godchild needs this intensive due to the increasing severity of their mental health needs and all agree that weekly one hour therapy is insufficient until they have completed this intensive.

Unfortunately, United Insurance won’t cover the healing intensive. Myself and some close friends have donated, but we are unable to make a big enough dent. The intensive, located in Milwaukee, is $7,000, which includes lodging. My godchild’s family has been through enormous stressors and tribulations this last year and I am trying to help them avoid additional financial burden.

Due to the personal nature of this, we appreciate any amount you can spare to donate, even $5 will be helpful to this beautiful family. Any amount over $7,000 will be donated to the Trevor Project to help other queer at-risk youth.

Healing Intensive Information

Trevor Project Information