Save Isabella

This is my wonderful 15-year old daughter, Isabella. She was always an easy-going, happy child, until 3 years ago, when she became withdrawn, depressed, and started suffering from anxiety. I brought her to a therapist when I noticed the first symptoms, and fully expected her to eventually pull out of her depression. What happened instead was that the depression worsened, she started engaging in self-harm, and just wasn’t getting better.

It was heart-breaking watching my little girl suffer without knowing what to do. None of the experts could figure out how to help her. I brought her to therapists, psychiatrists, had her tested, put her on supplements and the medications the experts recommended, to no avail. She was having such a hard time, that she was put on involuntary suicide watch 4 times. She even attended a month-long outpatient program, and a month-long in-patient program after a suicide attempt, but continued to spiral.

After having tried everything over the past few years, the unanimous recommendation by her therapists to save her life was to enroll her in a therapeutic boarding school (TBS), where teenage girls who are experiencing severe depression and who engage in self-harm have daily therapy, are kept safe 24/7, and are able to heal over time and eventually return to their families.

As anyone who is a parent knows, we’ll do whatever we have to do to keep our kids safe. Isabella is now at a great TBS that has a good track record of being able to help girls heal. For the first time in years, I’m able to sleep with ease knowing that she is safe, and I have hope again that she will eventually heal. However, I don’t have the funds to cover what I owe for her treatment.

I’m a single mom of two daughters, and these past few years in which I was just trying to ensure Isabella was safe, and, of course, be there for her sister, have taken a huge toll, including financially. I have my own business, and keeping that healthy and thriving takes time and focus, so even though I continued to work, my time availability was affected because my number one focus over the past few years had to be on Isabella, since it was a matter of life and death.

In order to cover my portion of her treatment at the TBS, I put my house up for sale 4 months ago in the hopes of reducing my monthly costs. I’m very careful financially, I drive a 2001 minivan, and I don’t live extravagantly. I’m committed to working hard to recover financially from the last few years, but know it will take some time.

As a spiritual life coach, one thing I advise my clients to do is to ask for help when they need it, even though it’s tough for most of us to do. It’s very difficult for me to ask for this help, but I need to walk my talk as a person and as a life coach. I’m also just a mom who loves her children dearly, and who just wants them to be safe. So, I thank you in advance for any and all help you can give towards the $38,000 I still need to cover Isabella’s stay. This stay at the TBS can literally save her life.

I believe strongly in the power of prayer,and in miracles, so am also asking for prayers for her. My daughter needs a miracle. I thank you for holding her in your heart.

My intention is to pay it forward in some way, some day with the work I do. I know I will be given the opportunity to do so.

Isabella’s sister, Tatiana, and I thank you.