Daniel's Marathon for Mental Health
Tax deductible
I'm Daniel, a senior at Montgomery high school. I love running and am a passionate mental health advocate, so I decided to combine the two by running a marathon for mental health awareness. I chose this charity because I've seen firsthand the devastating impact that mental illnesses can have on people.
When one of my closest friends was diagnosed with a mental illness, she was alienated and labeled as "crazy". She had to bear not only the symptoms of her mental illness, but also society's reaction to her.
Yet I believe this is more due to ignorance than cruelty.
People know little about what being mentally ill entails, and those who are mentally ill are oftentimes too afraid of judgement to seek help. For some reason, it's completely fine to visit a doctor, yet it's embarrassing and shameful to visit a therapist.
Although NAMI does not aim to cure mental illnesses, by increasing society's understanding of mental illnesses and compassion for those affected, it surely will improve lives. #GoBeyondGiving
When one of my closest friends was diagnosed with a mental illness, she was alienated and labeled as "crazy". She had to bear not only the symptoms of her mental illness, but also society's reaction to her.
Yet I believe this is more due to ignorance than cruelty.
People know little about what being mentally ill entails, and those who are mentally ill are oftentimes too afraid of judgement to seek help. For some reason, it's completely fine to visit a doctor, yet it's embarrassing and shameful to visit a therapist.
Although NAMI does not aim to cure mental illnesses, by increasing society's understanding of mental illnesses and compassion for those affected, it surely will improve lives. #GoBeyondGiving
Organizer
Daniel Shao
Organizer
Princeton, NJ
National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts Inc
Beneficiary