The heART journey for mental health awareness

Hi, my name is Ryan Giesbrecht I’m 36 year old heARTist and this is my best pal Nahko. He’s an 11 month German shepherd husky. A “Shepski” for short!

We have been hiking across Canada for 7 months now pain..Ting and ARTiculating a new perspective in order to raise awareness on mental health and how I personally struggle and deal with suicidal thoughts myself.

It all started 7 years ago when I found myself in the Dube center for mental health in Saskatoon Saskatchewan, after my suicide attempt. Even tho it was a very dark time for me, I found some light in the form of sharing my own creative heART. There was a small art studio and I quickly picked up painting. Wildlife and wilderness sceneries were my favourite to paint. Because it helped me escape that hospital and I felt more myself.

What was amazing about the experience, I found community in the art studio with the other patients. I discovered that I was in fact extroverted, rather than being introverted like I thought for so many years. It was just I never found people like myself…..

So, I developed a skill set in painting and started a small business painting dog portraits and all kinds of recreation of peoples loved ones and it helped me save the money to get started on this HUGR dream I had while in the hospital.

When I was discharged from the hospital, I had to walk past the children’s side of the ward. I see them all with their heads down. With absolutely no hope! Thats when I had this idea of helping more people than myself. I felt I needed to better myself and come back with some real strength and pull these kids out of hell.

As you can see I’m still developing that strength!

I have to hike across the entire country in order to develop this strength. So that’s what I started to do 7 years ago. I worked on myself first! and got in shape to the point I went from walking down the block, to walking 30-45 km a day around Saskatoon training myself for this journey.

I set out ALONE on June 7th 2023. June 7th 2017 was the day I got discharged. So I jumped and bought all the gear I thought I’d need and I started to walk west. Aiming towards the ocean. I thought no one would care. When I pushed my cart through Saskatoon, I was just another homeless guy with a cart. Full of heART tho….

2 weeks later I met over 100 people who are dealing with mental health and or have family or friends struggling and they all came out to meet me as I was walking alone, heading west.

That’s when I found my best friend, my puppy Nahko! And we have been hiking together ever since. We have met over 400 people since June and I truly believe we are making a difference in peoples lives, in person and through social media as well. I get messages that people are painting now and looking to even go for a walk.

It has taken me and Nahko 7 months! But we have hiked across 2 1/2 provinces already and we reach the North Pacific Ocean in Ucluelet British Colombia

Now, to the reason I’m starting a gofund me, many people have suggested it. As it would be easier for people to share and help donate towards our cause. This journey is costing way more than I could have ever imagined. I do sell my paintings as well but it’s kinda hard even with the warmer temps out here. I’m finding it difficult to properly ship and keep everything professional during the winter in a tent hahah also, We are constantly having our gear fall apart or our cart constantly breaks down due to the 300lbs of gear me and Nahko push and pull up these mountains. Even the best of gear, just isn’t made for living conditions. It’s all made for the weekend camp out hahah

We are now aiming at the east coast and need some help. I have done a bit of math and I figure $15,000 would definitely get us all the way to the east coast which could take a couple years yet. But that will help with our tents, sleep systems for winter and food and clothing as well. And even help with my cell bill…until BELL is ready to talk… lol

Any money that’s left over would be put into the heART supplies donations that me and Nahko would like to make BACK to the hospitals once our hike is completed. We will travel back to all the communities we connected with and volunteer time with painting sessions and talks. I prefer to paint while we all talk haha takes the anxiety away

Anyway, we want to help pull more people out of hell. But we need a community to help us. I can’t do this alone. And I believe me and Nahko have developed a community as well and if y’all could help in anyway yall would be apart of this HUGE dream. As you can see, me and Nahko are very hard workers. We don’t know much, we are uneducated. But we know how to push and pull a ton of weight and we don’t give up for nothing! We won’t give up on you Canada. We will keep hiking until our governments sit down and have a chat with us, and maybe then. We can create some real change! For now. We will keep working and manifesting that dream.

Much love, thanks for believing in us and please, if you are struggling. Come for a walk, we can find a less busy road to walk and talk on. You don’t have to take your life. Rather, maybe the deal is. You have to learn how to SHARE it. Much love, see yall in the ditches.