Support The Berge Family

Hello all, it's Carter.

Please read UPDATE 1.

If you are reading this I am sure you know how serious and complex Alison's mental health is. Our journey has been long and excruciating and the battle doesn't seem to ever end. I humbly ask you to consider donating to our fundraiser to be able to send Ali to a mental health treatment center to get the help she deserves. Please take a moment to read about the journey below.

A BIT OF ALISONS STORY.

In 2017 Alison was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and psychosis. She was diagnosed with these mental disorders while spending 3 weeks in the Dube Center after a suicide attempt. Despite being prescribed medication that treats these illnesses' she ended up back up in Dube a few months later after another attempt at suicide. The medication prescribed this time did help Ali somewhat, however, she has still continued to struggle with her mental health through the years.

Ali trained her dog Murphy as a service dog and started bringing him everywhere she went. Murphy walked alongside Ali from late 2017-2020. Murphy retired as a service dog in 2020 and passed away this year. Murphy helped Ali along the way by making her feel comfortable in all scenarios. He didn't make life perfect, or make Ali's illness go away, but he did help make every day easier for a number of years.

In 2022 Ali was hospitalized with a pregnancy complication called Hydronephrosis from May to September. I (Carter) took time away from work to watch our daughter Kinsley and support Ali in the hospital at this time. After four months of Ali in the hospital, we longed to have our family back together. In September our son Boomer was born, and we were able to be home as a family. However, since then, we have not been able to get into a healthy routine. As soon as Ali got home, Alis's mental health took hold of her in a way she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

In December 2022, Ali went back to the hospital and was admitted into the Dube Center again. Over the last year, Ali has frequently been in and out of the hospital receiving numerous psychiatric treatments. She has gone through numerous med changes, regular Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), Counselling, and Ketamine therapy. Some of these treatments have resulted in small successes at times, but have not been enough. We always find ourselves back at the hospital looking for another option or answer from the team of doctors. Ali has attempted suicide three times this year. We are desperately looking for a change in our lives and in her mental health at this time.

As a family we have been in crisis for nearly 2 years. We feel that we cannot continue to live like this. We are exhausted, burnt out, discouraged, angry, and have a million questions. We need a change and we need it fast. Ali is in a pit of darkness that requires intensive therapy and care in order to get out. We need a foundation before we can continue going forward in our life.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO:

We have recently discovered two mental health treatment centers. Ravensview is located in Victoria British Columbia, and Bellwood is located in Toronto Ontario. Both centers operate in very similar ways. The treatment centres employ evidence-based treatments, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), to help Ali learn how to face triggers, manage intense emotions, and engage in activities that bring Ali joy.

Those who experience PTSD can have a higher risk of developing unhealthy coping habits, sometimes turning to substance use to manage the psychological pain. When mental health disorders are linked and co-exist, the best path to recovery is to address the conditions together.

Ali would work with an interprofessional team of clinical experts – including doctors, nurses, psychotherapists, counselors, social workers, and occupational therapists – who are experienced in trauma-informed treatment and dedicated to her success.

Both treatment programs are 8-9 weeks long and include 1 year of aftercare. Ali has applied to both places and is waiting to find out how soon we can get in. We will update this GoFundMe with where and when Ali will be attending.

Ali and I both believe that she will not be able to get the same type of intensive care/treatment at home. At the treatment centre, she would have time to work through and process all the trauma in her life while being away from her family and the stresses of home. Everyone at these facilities would work together as a team to provide the best care and therapy for Ali to heal and learn new skills/tools to bring home to us in everyday life.

I (Carter) have been in survival mode for nearly 2 years. Working, watching the kids, and supporting Ali/ watching over her has been exhausting. I am in need of a break and a time to not worry about my wife. I want her to go and get the help she deserves. I want her to be safe, and to get the medicated help she needs as well as the therapeutic help she needs. We are hurting and broken, we have experienced a lot of discouragement. Even when we think things are getting a bit better, everything ends up crashing before us. This treatment would not only be a time of recovery and rest for Ali, but also for me. I have been strong for so long and continued to care for my entire family, but I have crashed and have nothing left to give at this time. I am leaning on the support of others. I want to be able to see my wife thrive. I want to see my wife give life to my kids. I want to see my wife enjoy all things when it's been dark for so long.

WHY WE NEED FUNDRAISING.

These treatment centers cost 70,000$ for 9 weeks of care. This includes room and board, meals, therapy, medications, and psychiatry appointments.

The facilities require half of the payment upfront, and then bi-weekly payments after that. We are asking that you come alongside us and consider donating to allow our family to have a hopeful future. For our kids to be able to see their mom enjoy life. For Ali and I's relationship to be able to heal. For Ali to receive the tools and skills to manage everyday life tasks with mental illness. For an intensive treatment that can shake Ali out of the depths of darkness. For a break that our family has been longing for, for so long.

If we are able to surpass the goal of 70,000$ the funds will be used for myself to go visit Ali once, to allow myself to step back from work and take time to process and reflect over the past years. If anything changes in the price I will update as it goes.

Here is a link to each facility.

Bellwood: https://www.edgewoodhealthnetwork.com/

Ravensview: https://ravensview.com/

THANK YOU.

We are blown away by all the support we have already felt in the past 2 years. From grocery runs, childcare, gift cards, and hospital visits. It has been amazing to see everyone rally alongside us in this extremely hard time. For those able and willing we continue to extend the invitation for help as we try to move forward towards this goal of a treatment centre.

Please feel free to share this with your friends and family.

We love you all,

Carter, Alison, Kinsley, Boomer.