My sister’s family has reached the agonizing decision to send their son Keegan to a long-term residential treatment center for at-risk youth. Keegan has suffered from mental health issues over the last year and has been diagnosed with Bipolar, Anxiety, and Depression. Unfortunately, mental health is still under-supported, with limited options for treatment and insurance coverage, which has made this situation even more hopeless and impossible to navigate. Keegan is bright, creative, empathetic, kind, charismatic, and a natural leader. I believe that he has the potential to do great things for this world. To reach his true potential, it is imperative that he get the support he needs.
We first noticed a change last year when Keegan returned to school after a year of remote learning due to the pandemic. He began to experience some pretty intense anxiety- this affected his schoolwork and eventually his attendance and participation in school. He became very depressed, and his mental health continued to decline- he began to self-harm, self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, and lose his ability to make good decisions. Over the last year, his parents have had to call 911 four times for dangerous and uncontrolled behavior (to himself and others). He was hospitalized four times, staying in the treatment centers for up to two or three weeks each stay. My sister’s family has tried everything to keep Keegan safe and treat his mental illnesses. They have sought treatment for him, taken him to psychiatrists, therapists, started him on medication, participated in family therapy- and yet Keegan remains at risk. Recognizing that Keegan’s needs far exceed their parenting capabilities, his team of mental health professionals has recommended this move to a long-term facility to provide the in-depth care he needs.
It’s not hard to understand how impossibly heartbreaking it must be for a parent to conclude that they are unable to keep their teenager safe and that sending them away to live somewhere else is their only hope. But I know for me as a mom, it has been excruciating to watch my sister and her husband try everything that “typically works” for other teens, only for Keegan to continue to make dangerous choices. He refuses to go to school and therapy. He continues to use drugs and alcohol, sneak out of the house, and not participate in family activities, chores, etc. They helplessly watch as he comes home with new self-inflicted cuts daily; they have pulled clothes soaked in blood out of the trashcan. All efforts to provide consequences that typically guide teens into eventually making better choices have proven ineffective. Keegan continues to exhibit extreme risk factors.
Along with having to make one of the most complex decisions a parent could have, they now have a substantial financial burden they don’t have the money for. They are prepared to take out loans and do what they must, but I’m creating this fund to ask anyone who finds it within their means to help. Every little bit truly helps.
I know that it is extremely hard to understand what it is like to have a child with mental illness, so I am attaching an article that explains very well, the 24/7 struggle and heartbreak that is their reality.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and considering contributing to help ease their burden.