Mental Illness Awareness Month is in May Mental Health Awareness Week is the 1st full week in October World Mental Health Day is October 10th The purpose of Mental Health Awareness is to heighten awareness, understanding, and compassion for those who suffer from or care for those with mental illnesses. MY HERO also honors those working to support Mental Health through programs like Children's Hospice International and Laughing Yoga. Our featured heroes have contributed to the well-being of others through the examples of their own personal triumphs over mental illness or through research, a commitment to education and advocacy, or personal friendship and humor.
Stories
Peter C. Alderman Foundation
By: Amanda Molinaro from Irvine
Peter C. Alderman Foundation
helps heal the emotional wounds of victims of terrorism around the world.
Dr. Carolyn Mazure
By: Lauren Zeranski
Dr. Carolyn Mazure
founded the Yale Women's Health Program and is a forceful figure in the women's health movement.
Dr. Kay Jamison
By: Claudia Herrera Hudson
Dr. Kay Jamison
is both an expert on, and a sufferer of, Bipolar Disorder.
Ebrahim Hazany
By: David from Woodland Hills
He was quite a large child and was discriminated against for that. During that time, he had acquired symptoms of depression. This resulted in an ongoing struggle throughout elementary, middle school, and half of high school. He was put on the right track when he self diagnosed his depression and it was then that he truly became passionate about the medical field.
Alicia Lopez-Harrison de Larde
By: Tiffany from Tangerang
Alicia Lopez-Harrison de Larde supported her mathematician husband John Nash and was a mental health care advocate.
Dr. Sara W. Lazar Neuroscientist - Meditator
By: Wendy Jewell
Dr. Sara W. Lazar
Neuroscientist - Meditator
researches the effects of meditation on the brain.
"It was then that she realized that helping children who have to deal with emotional issues was what she was meant to do."
Children and Grief
By: Ann Armstrong Dailey <br>and Richard Dietrick
Dorothea Lynde Dix
By: Sean from Connecticut
Dorothea Lynde Dix
was an advocate for the rights of the mentally ill.
Connie Siskowski
By: Jane Wallace from New York
Connie Siskowski
follows her true passion to care for the youngest of the caregivers.
Rosalynn Carter
By: Katherine from Columbia
Rosalynn Carter
is a humanitarian and former First lady who inspires others through her good works.
Bill Wilson
By: Greg from Fredericksburg
Bill Wilson
changed countless lives and livelihoods by founding Alcoholics Anonymous.
To Write Love On Her Arms
By: Breeanna from Bell City
To Write Love On Her Arms
was founded to help people suffering from depression and substance abuse.
Dr. Felton Earls
By: The My Hero Project
Dr. Felton Earls
treats communities through his work.
Dr. Madan Kataria
By: Wendy Jewell
Dr. Madan Kataria
has started a revolution of joy and laughter that is spreading around the world.
Dr. Patch Adams
By: Kelly Stephenson
Dr. Patch Adams
gives the practice of medicine a humorous twist.
Young@Heart
By: Amanda Molinaro from Irvine
Young@Heart
is a chorus of senior citizens that sings classic rock and pop songs.
John Muir
By: Harold W. Wood, Jr.
John Muir
advocated preservation, feeling that natural areas promote mental health.
Azim Khamisa
By: Monica Olson
Azim Khamisa
founded the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to encourage forgiveness.
David Seidler
By: Betty Bailey
David Seidler
wrote the play and Academy Award-winning screenplay for The King's Speech.
Lyndon Harris: People Making a Difference
By: Marilyn Jones<br>Contributor of The Christian Science Monitor<br> <h5>Permis...
Lyndon Harris: People Making a Difference
founded The Gardens of Forgiveness Project.
Nick Vujicic
By: Tim from San Diego
Nick Vujicic
went from a life without limbs to a life without limits
mpower
mpower
harnesses the power of music to change youth attitudes about mental health.
Good Charlotte
By: Stef from Laguna Beach
Hero
By: Hero's Friends at School
Hero is an extraordinary therapy dog.
Magic the Therapy Horse
By: Jorge Garcia-Bengochea
Magic the Therapy Horse brings a special love to all who know her.
Vincent Van Gogh
By: Claudia Hudson
Vincent Van Gogh remains one of the world's most renowned artists.
Ray Charles
By: Emma from Lakewood, CO
Ronald Reagan
By: Deanna from Coram
Don't be afraid to see what you see.
Edgar Allan Poe
By: Rhea from Annapolis
Edgar Allan Poe
was a renowned poet who overcame many hardships including depression.
Claude Oscar Monet
By: Maria from Commerce City
Augusta Ada Byron (Lovelace)
By: Edward Ortiz
Augusta Ada Byron (Lovelace)
developed the world's first computer program while struggling with her own personal hardships.
Jack Skellington
By: Damiana from New Haven
Jack Skellington
is the character from The Nightmare Before Christmas who has good intentions.
Art
Abraham Lincoln: He Now Belongs to the Angels
By: Christie Fisher
Lily Yeh by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org
By: Robert Shetterly
Who will help her?
By: Imelda of Laguna Beach High School
Dorothea Dix
By: Unknown photographer
Nurture Your Mind
By: Mikal of Laguna Beach High School
An Awakening
By: Camille
My Mom Saved Me From My Worst Fears
By: Jacqueline Thies of Taft High School
Film
Mattie Stepanek
Producer: Nathan Smith
A short animated tribute to poet hero Mattie Stepanek. The soundtrack features the St. Paul's Episcopal Day School choir singing a song inspired by one of Mattie's poems.
i Luv Laughing Yoga
Producer: Wendy Milette & Jeanne Meyers
Dorothy finds healing and joy
with the Laguna Laughter Yoga club!
