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Lisa S. 2020 was a difficult year for me, and I’m not talking about the pandemic.  With everything going my way, I had only one item on my bucket list…to save a life.  The way things turned out, the very same life that I saved in 2019 was the same life that I lost in 2020.  Be careful what you wish for…. My sister had been struggling with depression for years, but it started to become noticeably worse when she also began experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder with schizophrenia after the age of 50.  After one particular psychotic episode, she began to seek help through psychotherapy and medication.  Due to her own crippling anxiety and depression, she was unable to hold a steady job, and my husband and I were able to offer her employment [...]

Michelle I really do not have a remarkable story like some. When I started working for the Angus Barn over 20 years ago, I realized then what a great organization the Foundation of Hope was, and it made me understand how many people are affected by mental illness. I then started walking in the Walk for Hope just about every year since then, and my employer gives me the ability to donate straight from each paycheck. I have even started a team in recent years to help raise as much as possible. Not only does the Walk promote physical health, but raises money to help solve the serious issues of mental illness by donating that money to research. Truly an amazing organization that I will wholeheartedly support as long as I am able. [...]

Tina Prior to 2015, I was one of those people. The one that discredited mental illness and thought, "This disease will never affect me and my family." Well, I was wrong, and am saddened that I did not know more about this dreadful disease that is becoming one of the leading causes of deaths in young teenagers/adults. I lost my 19-year-old niece, Kaleigh (pictured), to anxiety, which lead to depression. You would never know how much Kaleigh was suffering by looking at her. She was pretty, popular and had her whole life ahead of her. It looked like she had her life made. Little did we know she was silently struggling. My family and I now walk and volunteer each year to help raise awareness, to eliminate the stigma and to find a cure or [...]

Lisa Thirty years ago, my mom was Thad Eure’s secretary, and we were part of the very first Walk. It was very small; I would say there were less than 500 people that showed up, and it was mostly the staff of the Angus Barn. Last year, we ended up losing my brother. He took his life. He had been depressed for about 10 years, off and on; we just never thought he would actually do anything. My first Walk [after his death] was very emotional. I felt like it wasn’t enough. I feel like it’s never gonna get easier, and as soon as I feel like I’m done crying about it, I realize I’m not. It’s a new sense of loss, and the most painful loss that I’ve ever experienced. I named my Walk [...]

Mandy After seeing that your foundation had a grant from Dr. Cynthia Bulik, the founding person for the program that I attended, I just knew I had to run the race again, not only for my late father, but also because I believe 100% in what you guys are doing. I still struggle daily with the mental illness of anorexia and bulimia but I am doing better. Because of research that UNC does and their wonderful programs, I will be able to see my daughter grow up. BACK TO STORIES Will You Join Us? Walk for treatment. Walk for life. Walk for Hope. Sign up to receive updates on our annual event, as well as the Foundation of Hope. Follow our stories and see your [...]

Rebecca Our family learned about the Foundation of Hope more than 21 years ago on a visit to see family in North Carolina while we were living in Texas. With so many friends and family touched by mental illness, it felt like a significant way to make an impact in their lives. We started raising funds and traveling to town for the October Walk weekend, eventually moving to Raleigh and getting more involved with each passing year. Our team, 1000 Friends for Hope, has raised more than $250,000 for the Foundation, thanks to the contributions and ongoing support from our friends, family, neighbors and strangers — so many of them reaching out with their own personal stories of grief and triumph and reminding us why it’s so important to continue these efforts. This past Walk [...]

Lauren My connection with the Foundation of Hope came together like karma. There's no other way to explain it. I was meeting with a friend, and I shared that I had been working to support the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation in New York. She paused and asked me why I wasn't choosing a local cause, and I responded that I didn't know of any. This was March 7, 2018. That very day, not long after that meeting, my daughter took my heart by deciding she didn't want to live any longer. Depression had overcome her. That afternoon, she was admitted into the E.R. at UNC Hospitals. Two days later, I was in the Starbucks of the UNC Neurosciences building waiting on my other daughter to come visit her sister. She was late, so I [...]

Emily I just finished graduate school, with a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I was in high school when I first found out about The Foundation of Hope. When I was a teenager, I had two different heart problems—one of which you typically find out about post-mortem. They were able to fix both problems, and when they fixed the second one, I had this epiphany: I wanted to spend my life doing something that mattered, helping other people. Around the same time, I discovered that I was interested in human behavior and took an Intro to Psych class. Senior year, I was a TA for an AP Psych class, and I also had a requirement for hours to meet. I started doing some work with the Foundation of Hope, and I loved the work [...]

Paige I’ve been involved with the Walk for Hope for 30 years. I was doing charity work, and my friend asked me if I would do this walk, and of course I said yes because he was always so good to me. Then, when I found out it was for mental illness research and treatment, it hit home because my family has been so affected by mental illness, and I thought, “This is a way that I can give back, or I can do something, rather than just feel bad.” So I walked with the people from the Barn that first year. I felt like I was taking some steps, I was doing something, for the cause of mental illness. My aunts and my uncles were affected with various mental illnesses, not just one or [...]

Phillip I joined the Walk so long ago I can't remember how old I was, but I believe I was seven. I was glued to Mom's hip, but eventually was brought out of my shell to pull T-shirts for the walkers. I remember it to be fun and exciting and how it made me feel good to be a participant. I continued to help Mom until I was old enough (and trusted enough) to work with Andrew Meier. Andy was in charge of everything physical it seemed, so naturally I was in. I remember we had to pull sign posts for registration that were eight foot pieces of wood concreted into pickle buckets. He and I set up signs in the park for all our volunteers and walkers to enjoy and hopefully not get lost. [...]