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Throughout my journey and the years since, I’ve tried many different strategies to get better including self-help strategies and websites like ADAA for information on what depression is, to formal treatment options including medication, talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and peer support groups.

While many around me do not know, I am no stranger to anxiety myself. I suffer daily from OCD and I am in a constant battle to control it. I understand the importance of having the right resources and access to information to learn how to overcome mental illness.

My oldest brother Peter struggled for decades with depression. He could not find help from antidepressant medication or other available treatment methods. Eventually, he died by suicide, leaving many questions unanswered. For years, I wondered why he could not be treated effectively and how could people like him be helped in the future before it is too late?

I wasn’t normal, but somehow, to the world and medical spreadsheets I was, “just an average kid with anxiety” and not a kid who desperately needed help.

I am starting to see that I can find my voice by helping others realize they are NOT BROKEN. 

Founding Melissa & Doug sparked my first “dot moment” in realizing I had capacity to forge my profound darkness into radiant light.  I had believed that my innate darkness could only incite more darkness, but now saw that it could be channeled into engaging toys and unleash imagination.

I want to advocate for stroke survivors to get immediate and comprehensive support for their emotional well-being. And I want to inspire someone battling depression to ask for help. I

Even before 2020, I dealt with my fair share of depression. I had recently graduated with a B.A. in Journalism and was forced to move back home, unemployed.