My cousin and best friend Lizzy is one of the most caring, and resilient people I know. I'd describe her as someone who carries the spirit of the stars. She has dedicated herself to helping others heal, working in mental health facilities, mentoring teens in foster care, and volunteering for eight years to bring creativity and joy to underserved youth. Even while facing her own mental health struggles, she has led with compassion and hope. She’s in a battle for her own life as her depression has become so severe that simply staying here has become incredibly hard.

Now, healing is finally within reach, and in her vulnerability, she shows strength by asking for support when the mental health stigma is so negative.

Help:

She lives with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, major depression, and generalized anxiety disorder, conditions that have not only disrupted her life but made it feel unlivable and crippling.

She has pursued nearly every form of treatment available. Years of countless medications, traumatic ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), and intensive therapy. Yet her symptoms remain severe, including persistent suicidal ideation.

If you have ever dealt with worrying a loved one was contemplating to end their life, it is a very scary and real thing.

Hope:

Recently, Lizzy began clinic-based Spravato (ketamine nasal spray therapy), one of the most promising treatments for people who haven’t found relief through all traditional methods.

For the first time in all of her medical treatment history, there has finally been a real shift. Spravato has been the first treatment to show measurable improvement in her symptoms, offering a level of relief and clarity that no other intervention has reached.

Without continued access to this treatment, Lizzy’s mental health could rapidly decline again, and this critical window of hope may close.

How it works:

Spravato works differently from traditional antidepressants. Instead of targeting serotonin, it affects the brain’s glutamate system, helping “reset” overactive neural pathways linked to depression. By blocking NMDA receptors, it increases neuroplasticity, which allows the brain to form new, healthier connections. In clinical studies, Spravato has been shown to rapidly reduce suicidal thoughts and significantly relieve depressive symptoms, sometimes within hours to days for people who have not responded to any other treatments.

Spravato must be administered in a certified medical setting and monitored closely by doctors and nurses during each session. 

After going back and forth with insurance, it finally is covering part of the treatment. However it does not cover the remainder of the cost and all of the co-pays, which add up significantly. These costs, along with transportation, bills, and basic living expenses, have become overwhelming and could jeopardize Lizzy’s ability to continue care.

This medical treatment must be continued consistently to remain effective. Without it, that progress could disappear.

Why We’re Asking for Help:

Spravato is working, but it is financially unsustainable without help.

Lizzy had to sacrifice her job and leave work to prioritize her safety, healing, and the countless hours that are spent in treatment.

We are trying to raise $10,000 to ensure Lizzy can continue this life-saving medical care during the next few critical months (and beyond), which has the potential to reach full remission.

This treatment is truly life-saving.

Every donation helps ensure Lizzy can access the care she needs to survive, heal, and rebuild.

Your support provides her with time, safety, and the opportunity to rediscover hope, and living life to its fullest.

The stigma and shame surrounding mental health often makes it difficult for people to ask for help, but this is truly a matter of survival.

I am sharing Lizzy’s story because her life is worth fighting for, and because staying silent helps no one. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. Help is available.

You can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.