Recovery for Kevin

Hi there! My name is Caitlyn and I’m raising money for my step-dad Kevin so he can attend a mental health retreat center.

About 20 years ago Kevin was diagnosed with MS and that changed his life. For the most part, MS has attacked his body; pain in his legs and feet, shakes, extreme reaction to heat, etc. Within the last 10 years, it’s been attacking his brain… a lot. Every year it seems like he gets a few more lesions on his brain, which in turn creates a new set of issues for him. He was diagnosed recently with Pseudobulbar affect (PBA), which is when someone randomly and uncontrollably begins to laugh or cry. His depression and anxiety really sunk in around the time he was diagnosed with PBA. This is around the same time as his mother passing; a few years after his dad had passed away. Since then, his depressed and anger episodes have become increasingly scary for both him and those around him. Several of these episodes ends with him in the hospital because he can not calm down or he has threatened to hurt himself. He’s on max dosages of his medication, he’s done therapy sessions weekly and a couple times intensive therapy 3 hours a day 3 days a week, and he’s been in a hospital setting rehab but nothing seems to work. If he could get to a mental health retreat center where he can relax, maybe do some group activities, intensive one on one therapy, yoga, water therapy, etc, or something new that can help him manage these episodes better than a hospital rehab just doesn’t have the means to do, then maybe he could have a chance at a happier life.

Not only has his depression and anger been hard on him, it’s been hard on the entire family. My mom, who has struggled with depression her whole life, is struggling on her own but trying to stay strong and be there for Kevin. Relationships in the family are being strained due to stress. Of course, to top everything off, Kevin was bullied by one of his supervisors recently because of his mental health issues which forced him to quit his job. Everyone in the world is going through money struggles right now, but to now be down to 1 income has put a damper on being able to send Kevin to his mental health retreat center.

If you could please see it in your heart to donate, you would be not only helping Kevin, but helping an entire family that wants to see their dad/grandpa/husband/friend happy and enjoy the life around him. Kev has always been funny, caring, wanting to be friends with everyone around him, but now that’s all beginning to fade because his depression is taking over. I don’t want to constantly wonder if that next call I get is “the call…” the one that says “he fought hard for a few years but just couldn’t keep fighting.“ No, I want him to have all the tools he can get to keep his fight going. So please, please help Kevin fight harder and donate so he can get to a facility that is equipped with the tools needed to keep his fight going. We all know what it’s like to be or know someone who is affected by depression and anxiety, so please help the next person to show them that they’re not alone. Thank you and I know that together we can get Kevin into a mental health retreat center to keep his fight going! We love you Kevin ❤️