I grew up in a small, quiet town in upstate New York just outside of Syracuse. My family attended church every time the doors were open, and I even went to a private, Christian school. I gave my heart and life to Jesus Christ when I was six years old, so faith was always a big part of my upbringing but at the same time, there was an internal darkness that was germinating.

I discovered early on that I had a passion for writing. I would write short stories, and even screenplays for me and my friend’s home videos. While I embraced my passion for writing, and lived a life of Christian faith, that darkness that I had been ignoring, continued to grow and would eventually consume me.

After I graduated from high school, instead of properly dealing with my deteriorating mental health, I turned my back on God and all that I was taught. I embarked on a path of self-destruction and wanton excess. But God…  

Despite my rebellion, He mercifully brought me to the end of myself and prompted me to get the help I needed. Even though He’s forgiven me for my sins and bad choices, to this day I am continually haunted by the consequences of my formerly debauched life—a life I could’ve avoided if I’d taken my mental health seriously from the beginning.

This is why I am so passionate about helping others who suffer with mental health, who, like I once did, pretend it doesn’t exist, or hope it simply goes away on its own.