Melissa's 2024 Birthday Fundraiser

It is said that for every 1 suicide at least 6 people are impacted. In 1971, at the age of 14 my mother became 1 of 6. The 70's were a different time. We didn't have the understanding of mental health and trauma that we do now, and children didn't go to counseling after experiencing such trauma. As a result, my mother wasn't able to grieve her losses, heal from her trauma, or develop age appropriate coping or communication skills. Instead, opting to smile through her pain and say "I'm fine". She wasn't.

It is because of this lacking skillset (in my opinion, anyways), that on July 15th 2022, I also became 1 of 6.

This year I am raising money for Alliance of Hope (https://allianceofhope.org/). Part of the mission statement for Alliance of Hope reads: "We provide healing and compassionate support during the lonely and tumultuous aftermath of suicide. We help people survive suicide loss, and go beyond “just surviving,” to lead meaningful and productive lives.". Services provided by Alliance of Hope include a community forum which operates like a 24/7 support group, this forum is overseen by those in the mental health field and a team of individuals trained in Survivor loss. I can attest that this forum has been invaluable to my loved ones during a time of shock and confusion and continues to be invaluable today.

Alliance of Hope also offers distance consultations by trained professionals for those who are unable to find local support.

I can't go back in time and stop my mother's losses from happening nor can I stop my mother from making the choices she made(Lord knows I've spent the last 18 months trying). But, with this fundraiser I hope to ensure that the next group of 6 has the community they need to learn to live in a world that no longer makes sense.

If you prefer not to send your financial information via Go Fund Me, donations can be made in memory of Patricia (Patti) Janik here:https://support.allianceofhope.org/give/47659/#!/donation/checkout

Thank you for reading, sharing, contributing.