FINDING HOPE
Stories of inspiration, innovation and leadership
STEPHANIE RICHARDSON PHOTO BY ROBERT DE WIT
A S P E C I A L R E P O R T F R O M T H E R O Y A L O T T A W A F O U N D A T I O N F O R M E N T A L H E A LT H
CHAMPIONS FOR HOPE The Royal is so fortunate to have champions across our community and around the world who volunteer their time to support the incredible mental health care and research that helps provide hope and transform lives. We’re grateful to highlight these three champions for mental health who use their platforms to help raise money and awareness.
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Thank you, Ian, Elizabeth and Robert, for everything you do for us!
MAKING OTTAWA A BETTER PLACE
AN INSPIRATION FOR OTHERS
STORIES THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY
Ian Mendes, a local sports broadcaster who co-hosts the afternoon radio show “The Drive” for TSN Radio 1200, is using his media platform to support The Royal and help bring awareness to mental health in our community. “In university, my roommate and good friend ended up taking his own life shortly after we graduated,” Mendes says. “I started to look back wondering if I had missed some signs – or if I should have had more open conversations with him. But in the year 1998 when we were graduating, talking about mental health just wasn’t what it is now.” Mendes’s goal is to help make Ottawa a better place. “As a member of the media, I want to use my platform for more than talking about a power play that doesn’t work or a team that needs to sign a free agent. If I’m able to volunteer my time to The Royal to tell impactful stories and to interview mental health experts, that’s my way of giving back to the community.” Mendes would like to see conversations about mental health continue to push forward, further decreasing the stigma, so that young people today will be able to talk to each other more openly. “My hope is that if there’s a kid at Carleton University today who has a roommate that’s struggling, they’ll be able have those important – even life-saving – conversations.”
Despite being the pride and joy in Canadian women’s figure skating as the 1988 Olympic silver medalist, the 1988 World silver medalist, and a three-time Canadian national champion, the joy we saw on the television screens in our living rooms masked the pain Elizabeth (Liz) Manley was feeling. Deemed “Canada’s Sweetheart” for more than 20 years, life for Manley has been filled with mental health challenges. At the age of 16, Manley was diagnosed with depression. “I was a teenager, bald, 35 pounds overweight and locked in a house because I didn’t want people to see me. I had experienced a nervous breakdown. I thought there was nothing good in life for me. Four-and-a-half years later, I was standing on the podium and having the greatest moment of my life. When you think your life is no good, you can change it.” Manley works tirelessly to inspire others with her mental health journey. She is a strong advocate for the work being done at The Royal and continues to support the Foundation, using her media platform to raise awareness. In addition, Manley is grateful to The Royal’s mental health experts who have helped members of her family. She believes that it’s important, now more than ever with the pandemic, to continue to support mental health care and research. “My heart belongs to The Royal because of the great work that they’re doing and as a community we can’t lose that, because no one should suffer in silence.”
Robert de Wit, Ottawa’s premier headshot photographer, says his one goal is to “rid this world of boring and uninspired headshots.” He’s worked with actors, artists and executives. Now he’s giving back to the community by offering his services to the Royal Ottawa Foundation for the front and inside covers of this publication. “I wanted to do something more meaningful, where I could help tell a story of those who benefit from and work with The Royal, through photography,” de Wit says. He describes how every photograph has a voice and that the most important voice is the one that elicits an emotional response from the viewer. “We’ve all seen iconic shots that stop you in your tracks. That’s storytelling. That’s photography. That’s my purpose.” The Foundation is grateful for this generous donation of de Wit’s time and talent.
in the Ottawa region and is quickly becoming a much sought-after treatment for depression.
A PREFERRED TREATMENT Unlike other treatments, such as antidepressant medication and electroconvulsive therapy, rTMS has very few side effects. Additionally, rTMS sidesteps some of the traditional obstacles to treating young adults with depression. Youth and young adults who take antidepressant medications, for example, may experience behavioural, emotional and physical changes. Many elderly patients are also limited in their use of antidepressant drugs because of poor kidney or liver function. rTMS as an alternative to drug interventions is useful for a wide range of people.
Approximately 50 per cent of patients see a significant reduction in their symptoms – which includes 30 per cent who achieve complete remission.
Watch at: bit.ly/Royal-Tremblay
The Royal’s Dr. Sara Tremblay demonstrates the use of a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation with Dr. Lisa McMurray, seen at far right. The treatment stimulates the brain circuit known to be dysfunctional in people with major depression. PHOTO BY MICHELLE VALBERG
HOPE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH TREATMENT-RESISTANT MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER I n an effort to help people living with treatment-resistant depression – those who have failed to respond to one or more different antidepressant medications – Dr. Sara Tremblay, a scientist at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, has been tirelessly working for the past two years to bring an rTMS clinical-research platform to The Royal. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a type of neuromodulation that directly stimulates the specific brain circuit known to be dysfunctional in people with major depression. This is done by producing a brief and painless magnetic field that is delivered via a
coil placed against the scalp. “Across the mental health landscape, clinicians, researchers and patients are all becoming increasingly aware that there is an urgent need for new, alternative therapies for mental health disorders,” says Dr. Tremblay. “Neuromodulation offers us a whole new way of looking at mental health treatment, where we can identify malfunctioning circuits in the brain and effectively treat them in a non-drug, non-invasive way.” This dream of Dr. Tremblay’s became a reality in January 2020. The Royal’s new rTMS clinical-research platform is the first of its kind
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DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Health Canada approved rTMS in 2002, but unfortunately only three jurisdictions – Saskatchewan, Quebec and Yukon – have publicly funded this innovative treatment. Those who live in large urban centres with private clinics can pay out of pocket for treatment. But for many, the only other way to access rTMS is through research. Through this clinical-research platform at The Royal, Dr. Tremblay’s goal is to offer treatment to as many people as she can while collecting research data to help better predict and refine rTMS treatment on a continuous basis. “Research in this area is leading to a better, more personalized standard of care for patients with depression and related mental health disorders, for whom traditional treatments haven’t worked,” says Dr. Tremblay. For a period of four to six weeks, five days a week, study participants come to The Royal for a 20-minute session in which rTMS is applied for four minutes. Although this may seem like a big time commitment, the results from rTMS have been quite positive. In fact, recent large trials have shown response rates similar to antidepressant medications; approximately 50 per cent see a significant reduction in their symptoms – which includes 30 per cent who achieve complete remission. The ultimate goal is to eventually obtain the necessary funding to expand upon the current rTMS clinical-research platform and to offer different types of rTMS treatments to individuals with treatmentresistant depression as well as for individuals living with other mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. An rTMS clinical program would provide patients with a fast, free, safe and effective method to help treat chronic and treatmentresistant mental health disorders.
DR. BECK’S TOP 3 TIPS
FOR YOUTH AND PARENTS DURING STRESSFUL SITUATIONS
DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Watch at bit.ly/Royal-Parents
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AN OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was sitting in my office one afternoon, meeting with a patient online, when they asked, “Dr. Beck, am I going to be able to finish high school?” Like many of us, teens are frightened by the virus, but their worries have shifted to their future and all of the unknowns that come with a pandemic. Most of the youth whom I work with know that education is key to better jobs and a better life, but they – and their parents – are nervous and unsure about how their school year will be affected. For teens who are already living with a mental illness, who have been both physically and socially distancing from their friends and families for months, this adjustment could be debilitating. I know how hard my patients work to be and stay well. The best thing about being a psychiatrist for youth is that I watch many of my patients grow up to be happy and successful. It’s because of the kindness of our donors that they are given the opportunity to succeed in life. They still have so many years left to live their best lives, and with continued support, we can ensure they soar to greater heights, reaching their life goals, and becoming the person they are meant to be.
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First and most important, rest.
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The next best thing to do if you’re anxious — an activity that counts as restful, in fact — is exercise.
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Another thing to do is eat nourishing food.
If you are feeling especially anxious or have an anxiety disorder, evidence shows that you should spend 40 per cent of your day resting. What does that mean? What is resting? Resting includes sleeping, and teens need at least eight hours of sleep daily. That’s about one-third of the day. Other resting activities include exercise, reading, listening to music, napping, knitting or other hobbies and chatting at a safe social distance — any activity that helps you smile or have fun. I remind teens in my practice that video games are not necessarily restful and screens on their own can often be more exciting than calming. For example, I like watching documentaries and movies but I make sure not to watch upsetting shows. The Silence of the Lambs is not my idea of a restful movie.
The teens in my inpatient practice complain sometimes if I suggest we go for a walk, but I remind them that what we’re doing is actively working against hormones that cause stress. The research shows that this works more effectively if you can be outdoors, so go outdoors. Use fresh air to combat anxiety! Since you’re going to be around home anyway while you’re socially distancing, why not make your own bread or soup? There is time for oatmeal in the morning and you probably now have more than 20 minutes to think about supper, so make something special.
Originally appeared on Dr. Beck’s blog: drgailbeck.com/2020/03/16/how-to-manage-your-teens-and-your-own-covid-19-anxiety
NEED HELP NOW? One in five Canadians will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives. You are not alone and help is available. If you are struggling and need help, the first step is to contact your family doctor, nurse practioner or a walk-in medical clinic. These professionals can help to figure out what is wrong, provide treatment, and/or refer you to specialized care like The Royal.
Need help for problems with drug or alcohol use? The Royal’s Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders program offers many different services to help people who are struggling with drugs or alcohol use. You do not need a referral from a doctor to access these services. Just call 613-722-6521 ext. 6508 and we will help you figure out what the best service is for you.
CRISIS LINES Mental Health Crisis Line: 1+(866) 996-0991 Ottawa and the counties of Prescott Russell, Renfrew and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry: 1+(613) 722-6914 Leeds & Grenville district: 1+(866) 281-2911 Pembroke Regional Hospital Mobile Crisis Team: 1+(613) 732-3675 ext. 8116 or 1+(866) 996-0991
Dr. Gail Beck Clinical director, youth mental health The Royal
Youth Services Bureau 24/7 Crisis Line: 1+(613)260-2360 or 1+(613) 377-7775 Kids Help Phone: 1+(613) 668-6868
DONORS AND CORPORATE PARTNERS CREATE ACCESS TO VIRTUAL MENTAL HEALTH TOOLS
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n mid-March, emergency public health measures swept across the country, limiting in-person interactions in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At The Royal, the pandemic has prompted the acceleration of several initiatives, particularly telemedicine. Never before has the ability to connect virtually been more important. Virtual care provides clinicians with the opportunity and capability to connect with our clients across the community while limiting the risk of spreading COVID-19. Almost immediately, a team of clinical leaders, recreation therapists and administration staff in collaboration with the Royal
Ottawa Foundation began working to raise money to secure connected devices – tablets and smartphones – in a bid to support the inpatients at The Royal and those in the community. Ensuring patients stay connected to loved ones and expert mental health care during the crisis was a top priority. Among the hundreds of donors who heeded the fundraising call, a national leader stepped in as well. When looking for support for this vulnerable population, TELUS was a natural partner. The technology company moved quickly to expand its national TELUS Mobility for Good initiative to keep vulnerable Canadians
connected to their loved ones. It’s a partnership that ensures the devices end up in the hands of those who need them most. With visitor restrictions in place across the Royal’s inpatient units – and with only a single landline per unit to share between as many as 30 patients – the opportunity to connect with the outside world became limited. “Imagine being hospitalized without any ability to speak to friends or family,” said Dr. Nicola Wright, a psychologist at The Royal. Her patients are often challenged by schizophrenia spectrum disorder and psychosis. “At a time when patients were feeling most distressed due to COVID-19, they were also cut off from their closest, most precious contacts,” she added, noting the situation caused by the pandemic “was heartbreaking.” Of the 125 phones and 135 data plans received by The Royal through TELUS, half are being used by clients in the hospital. The remainder were allocated for use by outpatients who had no access to a phone or data, making connection to their psychiatrists, mental health team members and cognitive behavioural therapy group sessions all but impossible. For one of Dr. Wright’s patients who lives alone, the declaration of the pandemic left her entirely cut off from group-based care because she didn’t have access to a phone with data. Through the Mobility for Good program, she is now able to attend three virtual group sessions per week and is maintaining her mental wellness. TELUS has been a partner of The Royal for more than 16 years; they are a key sponsor for a variety of Royal Ottawa Foundation events as well and recently launched the Health for Good initiative with the creation of the TELUS Mobile Health Clinics. TELUS truly is an incredible partner and supporter of mental health.
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2020-09-11 10:39
“Learning how to identify those at highest risk is a key goal in this field.” – DR. JENNIFER PHILLIPS, AN ASSOCIATE SCIENTIST AT THE ROYAL’S MOOD DISORDERS RESEARCH UNIT
DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Watch at: bit.ly/Royal-Phillips
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From left, Patricia Burhunduli, Dr. Jennifer Phillips and Katie Vandeloo are researchers at The Royal currently studying brain biomarkers that are associated with individuals with treatment-resistant depression who are most at risk of suicide.
NEUROIMAGING: A SNAPSHOT OF THE SUICIDAL BRAIN Understanding the progression of treatment-resistant depression
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uicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth and young adults in Canada. Every year, 4,000 people die by suicide in Canada alone. Suicidal ideation – thinking about, considering or planning suicide – is a common symptom in patients with major depression. Yet despite its high prevalence, very little is known about its biological underpinnings. Few treatments are available. Dr. Jennifer Phillips, an associate scientist in the Mood Disorders Research Unit at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, and her research team are currently studying brain biomarkers that are associated with individuals with treatment-resistant depression who are most at risk of suicide. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at The Royal’s Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), the research team is examining the brain’s structure by measuring the volume of various brain regions, the thickness of brain tissue and the white matter tracts in the brain that connect different brain areas. They are also looking at brain activity to identify brain networks that may be associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts. Imaging data from the study participants is then combined with clinical factors and behavioural traits associated with suicide – factors such as impulsivity, hopelessness, perceived stress and childhood trauma.
“One of the biggest challenges in mental health research is suicide prevention,” says Dr. Phillips. “Suicidal thoughts can be very common among individuals with mental illness, yet not all will progress towards making a suicide attempt. Learning how to identify those at highest risk is a key goal in this field.”
BIOMARKERS In addition to examining neuroimaging and clinical risk factors, the team is combining the imaging data on suicide with markers of inflammation in the participants’ blood, found to be elevated in people who have died by suicide. The study is among the first of its kind to combine these factors. They hope to uncover valuable biomarkers of suicidal ideation in patients with treatment-resistant depression, and identify potential targets for treatment. “Depression is so complex and difficult to understand, and there are many factors that can lead to depression and suicidal ideation,” says Patricia Burhunduli, an MD/PhD student working on the study alongside Dr. Phillips. “This study is a stepping stone towards improving our ability to identify patients with major depressive disorder who are at highest risk of suicide, which can open the doors for improved treatment and prevention measures.”
People with treatment-resistant depression may have brain structure or function that looks different than others, but researchers still don’t know why this is. Katie Vandeloo, another graduate student working on this study, has been examining the brain scans of healthy individuals, people with suicidal thoughts and people with suicide attempts to characterize a brain biomarker spectrum and see what’s unique about people who experience depression, suicidal ideation and behaviours. “We don’t really have personalized medicine in mental health right now,” Vandeloo says. “People who have depression see a doctor and start a medication, but that medication is just a ‘one-size-fitsall’ kind of treatment.” This multi-dimensional study is allowing the research team to examine suicide from biological, clinical and psychosocial perspectives, something that is essential to progress towards suicide prevention. There are currently 50 participants in the study, 38 of whom have treatment-resistant depression and 12 healthy controls. Participants come to The Royal’s BIC for a one-time, 45-minute brain scan that images various regions of the brain. Once the study comes to an end, all participants with treatment-resistant depression are provided a consultation, where they receive an individualized treatment plan. The end goal of the study is to better understand what a suicidal brain actually looks like – to understand the progression from suicide ideation to suicide attempt – in order to more effectively inform and target treatment for people with treatment-resistant depression and suicide ideation.
“This study is a stepping stone towards improving our ability to identify patients with major depressive disorder who are at highest risk of suicide, which can open the doors for improved treatment and prevention measures.” – PATRICIA BURHUNDULI, AN MD/PHD STUDENT AT THE ROYAL’S MOOD DISORDERS RESEARCH UNIT
“The more that people recognize the importance of research that helps us to understand the brain, the more we hope that will lead to people becoming better educated and able to recognize the signs and intervene earlier.”
PHOTO BY MICHELLE VALBERG
– J.D. LEES, BROTHER OF ALLISON
“When we lost our Jennie, we decided we better do something. I hope my contributions will reduce the incidences of suicide.” – BEN JAMES, FATHER OF JENNIE
hen separate tragedies struck the lives of the Lees, Waddington and James families, they each turned their grief into hope for people living with mental illness. Growing up, J.D. Lees says that his relationship with his sister, Allison, was strong. Their family spent summers at the cottage and ski trips in the winter. However, her struggles with intermittent periods of depression and an eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder in her late teens became difficult for their family. Allison tried many different medications over the years, but struggled with the side effects as well as with her diagnosis. At the age of 27, she died by suicide. Louise Helen Waddington – better known as Helen – was bright, gifted and always wanting to change the world for the better, according to her father, John. She was diagnosed with rapid cycling bipolar disorder and, being acutely aware of the inadequacies of her treatment at the time, saw no prospect of a full recovery. She died by suicide at the age of 35. Jennie James was well-travelled, vibrant, fun-loving and made friends wherever she went. Her incredible mind brought her several scholarships from universities around the world, but it was also
her incredible mind that kept letting her down. Seeing his daughter plagued by depression for years, Allison’s father, Ben, helped her get professional help. Despite everyone’s best efforts, as well as time spent as an inpatient at two hospitals, Jennie had her life cut short by depression. At the age of 33, she died by suicide. To honour their loved ones, each family created endowment funds through the Royal Ottawa Foundation. The Allison Lees Depression Research Fund, the Jennie James Depression Research Fund and the Louise Helen Waddington Research Fund have each provided support to the Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR) Annual Graduate Student Research Awards for almost a decade. These family funds provide research and educational opportunities to promising graduate students at the IMHR who are making important strides towards better understanding mental illness, and subsequently helping to inform new prevention and treatment strategies. “By getting involved with research, it does feel like my family and I can make a small difference in helping these students to help improve the lives of others with mental illness,” says J.D. Lees. “The thought
that we can play a role in just one or two people getting better really does help with the healing process.” J.D. says that his family’s experience getting to know these bright young students over the years has given his family some much-needed hope that the research they are helping to support will prevent future suffering for other families like them. Two recent award recipients, Katie Vandeloo (awarded in 2019) and Patricia Burhunduli (awarded in 2018), are both currently working with Dr. Jennifer Phillips on her neuroimaging study on suicide and the brain (read their stories on the opposite page). The Foundation is pleased to welcome the addition of the Julia Ruddy and Christina Ruddy Depression Research Fund to this group of philanthropic families. John and Jennifer Ruddy created a fund in memory of Julia and Christina Ruddy, who struggled with depression and were lost to suicide. The intention of this meaningful and lasting remembrance of John’s sisters is to help advance depression research and develop more effective treatments that will help other individuals and families in the future.
“We hope that fresh, trained, and committed minds addressing all aspects of bipolar disorder and depression will steadily produce a deeper understanding of the illness and its treatment.” – JOHN WADDINGTON, FATHER OF HELEN
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TURNING GRIEF INTO HOPE W
FOSTERING HOPE AND DELIVERING CARE
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It has been six months since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in Canada. There is no question that the past months have challenged us as individuals and as a community. Here at The Royal, they have also brought out the best in us. Building on 10 years of experience in telemedicine, we have leveraged technology to provide virtual services wherever possible and stay connected to clients and their families while working hard to keep the individuals receiving care in our hospitals safe as they progress on their roads to recovery. More than 80 per cent of our outpatient appointments currently take place virtually, as do our client and family support groups and community education programs such as our Is It Just Me youth mental health program. MCC_14225_RoyalOttawa_OBJAd_PRESS.pdf 1 2020-09-14
We have also acted quickly during the pandemic to provide urgent mental health care while other services in our region were closed or scaled back. During 17 weeks of operation, our temporary C-Prompt clinic served more than 540 individuals. For many it was the first time they received specialized care for symptoms of depression and anxiety. We offered accessible mental health treatment in close collaboration with primary care providers. This clinic exemplified the type of responsiveness and collaboration that we aspire to at The Royal. The pandemic has exposed and intensified the need for better access to mental health and addictions care. We have seen this in our clinical work and through our research. We are actively working on new initiatives to support that need. We are building our future guided by insight and feedback from clients, families and partner organizations across our community. Through collaboration and innovation we will be the best we can be, fostering hope and delivering care to those impacted by mental illness.
SPOTLIGHT ON STIGMA For individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, let us keep in mind that they not only face isolation and loneliness, but also the shadow of stigma that surrounds them. And this is impacting their mental health. For decades, we have fought hard to lift the veil of stigma
Joanne Bezzubetz President and CEO The Royal
that has prevented so many people from seeking help. Let’s try to understand and help each other during these trying times in our world. Rather than judge each other, let us look out for one another. Whether you are saying it from behind a mask, over the phone, on video or typing it, the message is the same: “I’m here for you. It’s OK not to be OK.”
10:32 AM
#workplacementalhealth
“As an employer, we know we don’t always see the full picture – which is why we’re committed to improving and creating a workplace where you can feel safe to talk, be heard and get the support you need.” Brent Strachan Division President, Ottawa
OUR DONORS HELP FIND HOPE For more than a century, The Royal has been dedicated to caring for families and people. That has made us who we are today. It’s not the years that count, it’s the lives made better that matter most to us. We’re driven and motivated by our common goal of helping people who suffer from mental illness and addictions. Our passion is to help them get better, faster – through innovative treatment, early intervention and strategies for prevention. Every year, thousands of people come to The Royal for help and hope. Our community is reaching out in larger numbers. More frequently. More urgently. With hope.
Caring for every person and every family who reaches out to us depends on us. People count on us. Our clients reclaim their best lives and build hope for the future – every day because of the work we do. And because of the people that support our work and mission. Because of you. We are driven by what could be, what should be, what will be. Our innovation and technology reduce barriers and bring care to people wherever they are. Access matters to those who struggle. At The Royal, we will never tire in searching for new and better treatment. New ways to change lives. New ways to bring hope. I invite you to get involved and join us as we work to transform access to mental health care.
DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Mitchell Bellman President and CEO Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health
Watch at: bit.ly/InsideTheRoyal
The Working Mind is now available virtually to workplaces across Canada
The Working Mind The Working Mind Virtual is an evidence-based program designed to promote mental health and reduce the stigma around mental illness in the workplace.
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A SYMBOL OF HOPE O
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n the most tragic day of Stephanie Richardson’s life, a symbol of hope was offered to her, giving her the strength she could not find for herself. In November of 2010, Stephanie and Luke Richardson tragically lost their 14-year-old daughter, Daron, to suicide. In tribute to Daron, Stephanie, Luke, their daughter Morgan and Daron’s friends created DIFD (Do it for Daron) and began advocating for youth mental health, inspiring conversations, offering education programs and creating helpful mental health apps. Since its inception, DIFD at The Royal has raised millions of dollars for various programs, research and initiatives, including the Is It Just Me? youth mental health education program, and the initiation of the DIFD Mach-Gaensslen Chair in Suicide Prevention Research. The offerings and awareness of DIFD have grown beyond the Ottawa region, its reach ranging from classrooms and cafes to baseball games and hockey rinks throughout North America. On that tragic day back in November, there was an act of kindness that Richardson will never forget. As she waited with Daron at the hospital for Luke and Morgan to arrive, a first responder – and one of Ottawa’s exceptional police officers — Insp. Pat Flanagan, waited with her. “Pat placed something in my hand and then closed it. He looked at
Making a difference together.
me, and told me that I would be OK,” Richardson says. “When I opened my hand, I saw a beautiful medallion. I looked down and realized that he had ripped it off his chain and placed it in my hand.” Flanagan, an executive officer to Ottawa’s chief of police, said his mother had given him that St. Jude medallion in 1998 to protect him while he was on an overseas mission in Bosnia. “As a police officer, you wear many different hats. But on that day with Stephanie, the hat I wanted to wear was one of support,” says Flanagan. He pulled the medallion from his front breast pocket of his police vest – where he always carried it – because he wanted to give Stephanie something of significance in that moment; something that would help protect her like it did for him. “St. Jude is the patron Saint of hope, lost causes and desperate cases,” he adds. “Without hope – next to health – we have very little. Stephanie needed that medallion much more than I did.” Stephanie is so grateful to Pat and all of the courageous first responders who are there for people in their darkest moments. “I’m very passionate about our first responders and military – they show such kindness every single day, to so many people like me who have been devastated,” Richardson says. “Without Pat, I can’t even imagine how I would have made it through that first day. I know we
Stephanie Richardson says she’s “forever grateful” to Ottawa Police Insp. Pat Flanagan for his gift of a medallion – as well as his compassion and guidance. PHOTO BY ROBERT DE WIT
would have been on a different path without his compassion and guidance. We are forever grateful.” The Richardson family and Flanagan formed a close bond through the years after that tragic day in November. Years later, Richardson offered the medallion back to Flanagan, but he told her to keep it. He said that the medallion “found a home with her.”
At BMO, we are committed to advancing health and wellness in our local communities. Through various sponsorships and community involvement, we believe in helping and making a difference together, to reduce the stigma around mental health in Canada. BMO is proud to support The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.
“We’re so fortunate to have The Royal, with its worldrenowned researchers and mental health experts, right here in our nation’s capital.” – COLLEEN O’CONNELL-CAMPBELL
DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Watch at: bit.ly/LosingDanny
FROM TRAGEDY TO HOPE Colleen O’Connell-Campbell shares her family’s personal story to destigmatize mental illness and rally support for increased access to care
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n February 2004, Colleen O’Connell-Campbell was at work preparing for a client meeting when she received a call from her husband. He immediately told her not to panic, and that what he was about to say had nothing to do with their two boys, but that she needed to get to the hospital immediately – for her brother. O’Connell-Campbell recounts how, on that painful day, she arrived at the hospital to see her brother laying on a bed in a room behind a curtain. Tragically, at the age of 24, he had died by suicide. In retrospect, O’Connell-Campbell says there may have been some signs that her brother was unhappy or struggling, but it wasn’t part of their family conversations because people didn’t talk much about mental health at the time. “Danny was never treated at The Royal because he was never really properly diagnosed,” O’Connell-Campbell says. “We never even realized that anything was going on with him until just a few months before he was gone.”
O’Connell-Campbell, lead of O’Connell-Campbell Wealth Management at RBC Dominion Securities, is vice-chair of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health board of directors. She’s been on the board for four years, but has been involved in giving back to The Royal since 2011. As one of the founding members of the philanthropic group Women for Mental Health, she helped raise more than $1.5 million for The Royal’s Campaign for Mental Health. O’Connell-Campbell dedicates her time supporting The Royal through volunteer work on the Foundation board as well as involvement in the Foundation’s signature events, advocacy and fundraising. She believes strongly in the vital work being done, particularly at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR). “We’re so fortunate to have The Royal, with its world-renowned researchers and mental health experts, right here in our nation’s capital,” she says. “The organization is actively working on research
projects that will have a direct impact on patients’ lives and will provide a positive and transformational impact for the healthcare system.” O’Connell-Campbell believes that we all have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and to recognize when we need to ask for help. “It can potentially be challenging for some people to get the services that they need, but at the same time that’s exactly the reason why we need to continue fundraising for mental health and access to care,” O’Connell-Campbell says. “If you have access to your company’s employee assistance program (EAP), use that; or get on the phone and call the crisis line or your GP. And don’t ever – as hard as it may be – ignore an issue. Never give up.” O’Connell-Campbell continues to work on destigmatizing mental illness in the community through open discussions about her own personal tragedy. “Even today the stigma is still really strong, and there’s still a lot of work to do,” says O’Connell-Campbell. “I’m grateful that things have moved forward, but I think it’s really important to not forget that there’s still so much work that we have left to do.” On that cold day in February, 16 years ago, Colleen stood with her family in the emergency room, devastated for the loss of her brother. A comment made by her sister rings true to her today. “Life is not that bad,” O’Connell-Campbell had said to her sister. Her sister turned to her and said, “To him it was.”
ROYAL OTTAWA FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH | FONDATION DE SANTÉ MENTALE ROYAL OTTAWA 11
Colleen O’Connell-Campbell is a founding member of the philanthropic group Women for Mental Health and has helped raise more than $1.5 million for The Royal’s Campaign for Mental Health. PHOTO BY LINDSEY GIBEAU
12 ROYAL OTTAWA FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH | FONDATION DE SANTÉ MENTALE ROYAL OTTAWA