I’m the host of A New Dawn podcast where we dialogue to humanize mental illness. This has been a passion of mine for years. I am a mother, grandmother and a teacher in the public school system. I raised my children as a single mother for 18 years, working minimum-wage jobs, living paycheck to paycheck. We struggled, were homeless once and I always knew I needed to complete my degree to make more money, but life prevented this and threw various obstacles in my path.

My son grew up into a family of love; however, we soon learned there was something wrong. At the age of five, we discovered he had ADHD. Additionally, the news that failed to reveal itself without a bit of research and advocacy on my part, was that he also had Bipolar disorder. So, while working full-time and raising my four children, I sought out on the journey to support my baby. 

Psychiatrists and psychologists, at that time had private offices and charged an arm and leg for initial consultations. Many did not take children, or they had a huge waiting list. I think my name was on all of them, but the situation in our home demanded immediate attention. My son was kicked out of preschool, which seemed rather odd to me. How can a preschooler get kicked out of school? My questions finally led me to Stanford University. It was at this time and after my ex husband was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, that we elected to partake in a study, "Kids of Bipolar Parents." My youngest two were his biological children, so we tested them. After a few months, Dr. Kiki Chang determined my son had "not otherwise specified" bipolar disorder, which was uncommon in children. We took this information to his elementary school, which at the time was attempting to expel him for his behavior. The diagnosis proved his actions weren't willful and substantiated them providing an alternative educational setting, which they paid for on our behalf.

My son started Seneca Pathfinder Academy, a Seneca Family of Agencies special day program and stayed there until he was in 9th grade. He learned coping strategies and skills to manage his Bipolar and ADHD. We took part in weekly family therapy and he also participate in individual and group therapy. 

My journey with my son afforded me the opportunity to develop skills and strategies as well as become an advocate for my son. I learned quite a lot and have supported endless families on similar journeys. I highly recommend this for parents and other family members. I believe it was because of this training, I was able to support my son through all of the chaos, commotion, struggles and other obstacles of his mental illness. 

My book, The Ancient Sacred Tree Birthing A Hero was written as a result of wanting a place where my son could be touted the hero, a place where he could have confidence and feel proud of himself. This wasn't the case in reality and he went to some pretty dark places on his journey. The character in my book, Joshua Creed, is based on my son's experiences to some extent and written so other kids, like my son, can find a relatable character and to help familiarize kids with the mind of a bipolar kid.

A New Dawn podcasting series is open dialogue with people sharing their stories, in hopes that they help others that struggle and to support the 'humanization' of mental illness world-wide.