Lifeline for Lizzy

There is no greater pain than watching your child suffer. When Megan shared with me that she and Lizzy were in crisis my heart broke. As a parent who nearly lost a child to years of behavioral health struggles, I have felt the weight of not knowing how to save my child and it is an agony no parent should have to endure. On top of the distress of having a sick child, the catastrophic cost of treatment is astonishing. Many of us find ourselves mortgaging our homes, cashing out our retirement savings, pulling out college funds, borrowing from our children's futures in order to save them.

Megan and Lizzy are embarking on the long and arduous journey to recovery. Lizzy, who turns 14 in July, just returned home from a weeklong stay in a crisis stabilization hospital, page one of her wellness story. Through intense, long-term family- and individual therapies, Lizzy will learn to cope with her devastating traumas, navigate her mental wellbeing, and leave addiction behind her. Megan will continue unconditionally supporting Lizzy at every turn, in every way, learning new skills to best meet Lizzy's needs, all while managing the mounting bills for this lifesaving care.

Behavioral health treatment is expensive. Believe me when I say the cost of good care is literally staggering. Our oldest child, our only daughter, spent more than 700 nights sleeping in a bed nearly 500 miles from mine. We were states apart on her sixteenth birthday. It was, without question, the most challenging plight our family has ever faced. All told, we spent two hundred thousand dollars to save her life, to save our family. We could not have done it without the emotional and financial support of our friends, family, and community. Megan can't either.

I have known Meg for more than twenty years. She has always lived her life with vigor, led with grit. Megan has a contagious and authentic laugh, a quick and sassy wit, and a natural, unbridled bravery, all the ingredients required to be a really great mom. Lizzy is a creative. She finds solace in music and is a talented aspiring makeup artist. She is funny and theatrical and deeply loyal to her friends. She has a soft spot for the underdog and fiercely loves animals, particularly her four legged bestie, Winston.

With the right support, Lizzy's future is blindingly bright. Your donation will open doors for Lizzy, flooding her life with the light and hope she needs to get well.

All donations will go toward the cost of Lizzy's hospital stay, her continuing individual therapy, family therapy, medications, and any future treatments Lizzy may need. GoFundMe fees are deducted before any money reaches the organizer and beneficiary.