Many, many interested parties have been awaiting the launch of the BLUEWAVE FOUNDATION’s new website: OK2B BLUE. Finally, it is now available for viewing on the Internet, at:
The Lee Family suffered the tragic loss of their 18-year old daughter, Janice, to suicide in December 2006. Janice suffered throughout her teenage years with depression, anxiety mood disorders, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. Mostly, she hid the depth of her illness – not only from family but also from her friends – suffering in silence for fear of the stigma and shame attached to any health issues relating to the mind, not wanting to be labelled “crazy”. She lost the battle.
Subsequent knowledge and education gained by the Lee Family made them realize that such mood disorder illnesses amongst our youth is now – in the words of one psychiatrist – “of epidemic proportions in all first world countries”.
Suicide is the second biggest killer of our young people after car accidents.
More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED.
The highest risk group is aged 15 – 24 years (but can go much lower in age than that, or higher).
Jack and Margaret Lee also came to realize how little they themselves knew about what their daughter, Janice, was experiencing – ignorantly believing instead that they were just dealing with teenage moods, attitudes, etc. They had no-one to advise them that Janice might have had serious mental health issues and, in her choice of silence, there was no early medical intervention over the 6-year period when, from about age 12, she started to change from a bubbly, outgoing child into one of isolation and inability to connect with those around her.
Upon Janice’s death, Jack and Margaret Lee chose to expose to one and all the fact that their daughter had taken her own life. They were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of persons, both male and female, of all ages, who approached them with fears for either their own child, or of their own battles with depression at some period in their lives. Many parents continue to make contact, desperate for direction, where to go, what to do – and especially, what signs to watch for in a child who might well be struggling with some form of mental health issue such as depression, anxieties, panic attacks, etc.
It quickly became obvious to Jack and Margaret that the need is great. Action had to be taken. Hence the formation of the BLUEWAVE FOUNDATION. Much of the mandate of BLUEWAVE is clearly stated under the “Blue Wave Foundation” tab on the website. Rather than make this email an “epistle”, we would encourage you to visit the ok2bblue website (see link above).
But we would draw attention to one important project that is now being formulated: BLUEWAVE DAYS in junior high and high schools in all regional centres. Please look for more information on the website. It is a planned, one-day-a-year in the school year dedicated to a BLUEWAVE DAY. Much interest is already being shown by schools in various provinces. Again, there is an overwhelmingly positive response from young people in anticipation of such a program being initiated. The student council bodies will be encouraged to get involved, along with the students, in effecting change. Much more to be said on this – but please go to the website and read.
The website is and always will be a place of HOPE and encouragement to young people; a place where they can submit their own stories or quotes/poems, or read those of others; a place where they can watch educational video clips, listen to positive music and music videos. There is a movie video on the main page – clips from personal interviews one-on-one with young people who were bold enough to respond to the BLUEWAVE ad on Craigslist, to stand in front of camera and share their own struggles – their own journey in life so far. Their individual interviews can be viewed in full on the Video Clips page of the website . BLUEWAVE has nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for these young people, willing to speak out, knowing that it was safe to talk, that it’s OK to be Blue, and that together, they are part of the BLUEWAVE Movement to see change effected in our society. The Stigma and Shame attached to various health issues of the mind must and will end.
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