Saving Grace
Donation protected
Friends and family,
We are asking for your help for our precious daughter Grace. Grace has been dealing with some mental illness issues that have greatly increased over the past year. During this time, she grew more impulsive and erratic in her behavior, and her relationships with those around her have suffered. She was self-harming to deal with her increasing mental distress. We got help for her through counseling and medication, but by last fall we could see that this was not enough. Grace’s thoughts were increasingly hopeless and suicidal. In November of 2018 she was admitted to Parry Center in Portland for 27 days, where she was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. This is an extremely serious diagnosis, which Grace will likely deal with for many years.
Grace attempted suicide in February. She was treated at the hospital, but was released the same day despite our serious concerns. We really fought to get Grace some help, but insurance denied ongoing inpatient treatment. In May, Grace attempted suicide again, and this time she almost succeeded. We kept her alive until the ambulance arrived, but her wound was so deep that x-rays were required to check for bone and muscle damage. We fought to have her admitted, but she was bandaged and released within 12 hours.
Grace’s diagnosis means she cannot regulate her emotions. She has intense bursts of anger and severe depression. She struggles to organize her thoughts to accomplish the simplest of tasks. She feels that her life is worthless, and that there is no hope or help for her. She struggles to relate to others and to maintain relationships. Anything in our home that she might use to harm herself has to be kept in a locked box, in a locked room. Still, her body is covered in self-inflicted scars. She needs supervision around the clock, which means when she is not in school, one of us has to stay home from work to be with her. Since January, Grace has missed a total of 2 months of school.
Besides the devastation to Grace’s own life, her younger sisters are constant witnesses. As you can imagine, they deal with a lot of anxiety and fear. As her parents, we are heartbroken that we can’t provide the help and protection that Grace and her sisters need. Our daughter’s life is in danger. She is currently medicated, and is in therapy 3.5 hours per week. This is what insurance will approve. We have spoken with doctors, our insurance company, even the governor’s office, advocating for our daughter, and for the care that she needs to learn how to manage this overwhelming diagnosis. This is a matter of life and death for her. Her best hope lies in finding the right medication to help her regulate her moods, and in learning crisis management skills. For Grace, everyday things lead to mental crisis.
If you’ve ever dealt with a serious mental illness, you know that it is very hard to get real help. Insurance doesn’t cover the kind of treatment that will help Grace the most. We have found a program called Evoke Therapy. This is a 45-day program, which takes place in a wilderness setting in order to remove distractions. During this time, she will learn how to cope with life going forward. Without the fear induced by a locked hospital ward, she will be able to work on developing healthy coping techniques, maintaining appropriate relationships, and learning tools that will help her avoid harmful behaviors.
This is not a cure. There isn’t a cure. But we pray that this will change the course of Grace’s life, which is currently on a terrifying path. Because we have missed so much work over the past several months, we are reaching our financial limits. We ask you to consider an investment in our daughter’s life. If you are able to contribute financially, know that this treatment could help save Grace’s life. If you are not able, we thank you for praying for our family during this time of crisis.
All donations will be used to pay for a inpatient treatment program for Grace.
We are asking for your help for our precious daughter Grace. Grace has been dealing with some mental illness issues that have greatly increased over the past year. During this time, she grew more impulsive and erratic in her behavior, and her relationships with those around her have suffered. She was self-harming to deal with her increasing mental distress. We got help for her through counseling and medication, but by last fall we could see that this was not enough. Grace’s thoughts were increasingly hopeless and suicidal. In November of 2018 she was admitted to Parry Center in Portland for 27 days, where she was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. This is an extremely serious diagnosis, which Grace will likely deal with for many years.
Grace attempted suicide in February. She was treated at the hospital, but was released the same day despite our serious concerns. We really fought to get Grace some help, but insurance denied ongoing inpatient treatment. In May, Grace attempted suicide again, and this time she almost succeeded. We kept her alive until the ambulance arrived, but her wound was so deep that x-rays were required to check for bone and muscle damage. We fought to have her admitted, but she was bandaged and released within 12 hours.
Grace’s diagnosis means she cannot regulate her emotions. She has intense bursts of anger and severe depression. She struggles to organize her thoughts to accomplish the simplest of tasks. She feels that her life is worthless, and that there is no hope or help for her. She struggles to relate to others and to maintain relationships. Anything in our home that she might use to harm herself has to be kept in a locked box, in a locked room. Still, her body is covered in self-inflicted scars. She needs supervision around the clock, which means when she is not in school, one of us has to stay home from work to be with her. Since January, Grace has missed a total of 2 months of school.
Besides the devastation to Grace’s own life, her younger sisters are constant witnesses. As you can imagine, they deal with a lot of anxiety and fear. As her parents, we are heartbroken that we can’t provide the help and protection that Grace and her sisters need. Our daughter’s life is in danger. She is currently medicated, and is in therapy 3.5 hours per week. This is what insurance will approve. We have spoken with doctors, our insurance company, even the governor’s office, advocating for our daughter, and for the care that she needs to learn how to manage this overwhelming diagnosis. This is a matter of life and death for her. Her best hope lies in finding the right medication to help her regulate her moods, and in learning crisis management skills. For Grace, everyday things lead to mental crisis.
If you’ve ever dealt with a serious mental illness, you know that it is very hard to get real help. Insurance doesn’t cover the kind of treatment that will help Grace the most. We have found a program called Evoke Therapy. This is a 45-day program, which takes place in a wilderness setting in order to remove distractions. During this time, she will learn how to cope with life going forward. Without the fear induced by a locked hospital ward, she will be able to work on developing healthy coping techniques, maintaining appropriate relationships, and learning tools that will help her avoid harmful behaviors.
This is not a cure. There isn’t a cure. But we pray that this will change the course of Grace’s life, which is currently on a terrifying path. Because we have missed so much work over the past several months, we are reaching our financial limits. We ask you to consider an investment in our daughter’s life. If you are able to contribute financially, know that this treatment could help save Grace’s life. If you are not able, we thank you for praying for our family during this time of crisis.
All donations will be used to pay for a inpatient treatment program for Grace.
Fundraising team (2)
Jacklyn Coil
Organizer
Spring Grove, PA
Angela Weirich
Beneficiary
Jen Brown
Team member
