The Noah Project
Donation protected
My name is Mickey Stone and I have created this page to help the family of a former student of mine. Noah Parsons is a 14 year old boy who lives with his parents and 3 siblings in Sarasota, FL. Noah has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, ADD, and most recently, bipolar disorder. I have known Noah for 5 years and served as his mentor for the 3 years he was in middle school. The Noah I knew last 3 years was caring, thoughtful, funny, and talented. Along with being the lead in the school musical, Noah was voted by the faculty and staff of the school to receive the Principal's Award at Graduation.
When I first met Noah, as an incoming 6th grader, he was shy, introverted, and riddled with anxiety about everything. Noah was diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety, and ADD when he was in 4th grade. He has been on virtually every medication available to treat these diseases and continues to be today. He has been in therapy and under psychiatric care since he was in 4th grade. Speaking to him is like speaking to an old soul, as he has been and remains very self-aware, and he is able to easily articulate what he is feeling. Noah had a strong support team at my school. Teachers, counselors, administrators, and friends worked with Noah throughout his 3 years at SSAS, to ensure that he was able to cope with daily life in middle school. Noah persisted, and was eventually able to thrive here, keeping his demons at bay through medication, therapy, and support from his family and the people around him. When Noah left SSAS, he left a confident, charming, and dedicated student, ready to tackle the Law Academy at Booker High School.
High school proved to be a difficult transition for Noah, as it is for most students. Noah found himself back where he was emotionally at the beginning of 6th grade. Only this time, the feelings were much more intense. Noah began to withdraw. First from his friends, then from his schoolwork, and finally school itself. Noah found himself completely panic-stricken at the thought of going to school. As this was happening. I was regularly communicating with Noah's mother, Ivette. Ivette was becoming increasingly more concerned about Noah. She was spending hours daily talking to her son about his feelings and anxiety. Noah began to sink deeper and deeper into depression. He began telling me and his mother that he was having suicidal thoughts and that he seriously didn't think he could take this anymore. He told us that he knew he would never be able to be happy. That he was worthless. That he was a bad person and that no one would ever want to be around him. The vibrant boy Noah had been in middle school was gone.
As Noah continued to spiral downwards, his parents were trying everything to help their son. They increased his therapy, had his medications changed, researched different treatments, and continued to listen to their son, as he described his feelings of worthlessness and misery. At this point, Noah made an attempt on his own life. His parents had to have him Baker Acted, and he was held, under observation, for 72 hours. A Baker Act is a 72 hour hold. Once a patient is stable, they are released. Stable means they deem the patient to no longer be an immediate danger. Even though Noah is talking about suicide daily to his parents, he would still be released, because he would tell them he wasn't going to harm himself. Basically, the insurance wants to get the patients in and out, ASAP. After this happened, Noah was put on Hospital Homebound from school. He has not been back to school since January.
Noah recently completed 7 Electroconvulsive Therapy sessions and is scheduled to begin Dialectical Behavioral Therapy group this week. Noah's therapists and doctors have told his parents that Noah needs to be in a long-term care facility for at least 6 weeks. At first, his parents were reluctant to do this, as they did not want to put their child through this intense experience, when he is already so fragile. Through talking to him and his doctors, they were able to realize (and convince Noah) that this is what he needs. Noah's parents are exhausted. His mother has barely slept in months as she is constantly watching over her son to make sure he remains safe and doesn't try to hurt himself.
Here's where we need your help. Noah's parents have exhausted their savings on therapy, hospital stays, and medications over the past 6 months. The treatments Noah is going through are astronomical in price. Their insurance only covers stabilization units for care, not long term residential facilities. Under the new adjustments to the Affordable Care Act, insurances can consider this to be an option, which is the case with the insurance the Parson's have. Noah's parents are seeking long-term care (6 weeks) in a residential facility. The facility would make sure Noah was closely monitored, receive extensive therapy, and any possible medication changes, all while remaining under constant supervision. They (and Noah's doctors) feel this set up could help with him being able to ease back into the school setting and to get him on the right path to integrating himself with his peers. The facility costs $18,000 a month.
I am asking that you help me help this family get their son back. Noah's worsening depression and suicidal ideation have changed him. No one expects this to be an easy road, least of all Noah, but everyone recognizes that something has to be done to help get Noah out of the hole he is in. Any contribution you could give would be greatly appreciated. Equally as important, please share this on your social media. The impact this could have, were it to go viral, would be what we need to get this family their lives back, and to get Noah back to being the amazing young man he truly is!
When I first met Noah, as an incoming 6th grader, he was shy, introverted, and riddled with anxiety about everything. Noah was diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety, and ADD when he was in 4th grade. He has been on virtually every medication available to treat these diseases and continues to be today. He has been in therapy and under psychiatric care since he was in 4th grade. Speaking to him is like speaking to an old soul, as he has been and remains very self-aware, and he is able to easily articulate what he is feeling. Noah had a strong support team at my school. Teachers, counselors, administrators, and friends worked with Noah throughout his 3 years at SSAS, to ensure that he was able to cope with daily life in middle school. Noah persisted, and was eventually able to thrive here, keeping his demons at bay through medication, therapy, and support from his family and the people around him. When Noah left SSAS, he left a confident, charming, and dedicated student, ready to tackle the Law Academy at Booker High School.
High school proved to be a difficult transition for Noah, as it is for most students. Noah found himself back where he was emotionally at the beginning of 6th grade. Only this time, the feelings were much more intense. Noah began to withdraw. First from his friends, then from his schoolwork, and finally school itself. Noah found himself completely panic-stricken at the thought of going to school. As this was happening. I was regularly communicating with Noah's mother, Ivette. Ivette was becoming increasingly more concerned about Noah. She was spending hours daily talking to her son about his feelings and anxiety. Noah began to sink deeper and deeper into depression. He began telling me and his mother that he was having suicidal thoughts and that he seriously didn't think he could take this anymore. He told us that he knew he would never be able to be happy. That he was worthless. That he was a bad person and that no one would ever want to be around him. The vibrant boy Noah had been in middle school was gone.
As Noah continued to spiral downwards, his parents were trying everything to help their son. They increased his therapy, had his medications changed, researched different treatments, and continued to listen to their son, as he described his feelings of worthlessness and misery. At this point, Noah made an attempt on his own life. His parents had to have him Baker Acted, and he was held, under observation, for 72 hours. A Baker Act is a 72 hour hold. Once a patient is stable, they are released. Stable means they deem the patient to no longer be an immediate danger. Even though Noah is talking about suicide daily to his parents, he would still be released, because he would tell them he wasn't going to harm himself. Basically, the insurance wants to get the patients in and out, ASAP. After this happened, Noah was put on Hospital Homebound from school. He has not been back to school since January.
Noah recently completed 7 Electroconvulsive Therapy sessions and is scheduled to begin Dialectical Behavioral Therapy group this week. Noah's therapists and doctors have told his parents that Noah needs to be in a long-term care facility for at least 6 weeks. At first, his parents were reluctant to do this, as they did not want to put their child through this intense experience, when he is already so fragile. Through talking to him and his doctors, they were able to realize (and convince Noah) that this is what he needs. Noah's parents are exhausted. His mother has barely slept in months as she is constantly watching over her son to make sure he remains safe and doesn't try to hurt himself.
Here's where we need your help. Noah's parents have exhausted their savings on therapy, hospital stays, and medications over the past 6 months. The treatments Noah is going through are astronomical in price. Their insurance only covers stabilization units for care, not long term residential facilities. Under the new adjustments to the Affordable Care Act, insurances can consider this to be an option, which is the case with the insurance the Parson's have. Noah's parents are seeking long-term care (6 weeks) in a residential facility. The facility would make sure Noah was closely monitored, receive extensive therapy, and any possible medication changes, all while remaining under constant supervision. They (and Noah's doctors) feel this set up could help with him being able to ease back into the school setting and to get him on the right path to integrating himself with his peers. The facility costs $18,000 a month.
I am asking that you help me help this family get their son back. Noah's worsening depression and suicidal ideation have changed him. No one expects this to be an easy road, least of all Noah, but everyone recognizes that something has to be done to help get Noah out of the hole he is in. Any contribution you could give would be greatly appreciated. Equally as important, please share this on your social media. The impact this could have, were it to go viral, would be what we need to get this family their lives back, and to get Noah back to being the amazing young man he truly is!
Organizer and beneficiary
Mickey Stone
Organizer
Sarasota, FL
Ivette Parsons
Beneficiary
