(April 30, 2013) It has been five years, at many times long and painful, since a sudden delusional episode on a Massachusetts highway took the lives of my only children, Kaleigh and Shane, and their aunt Marci. Kaleigh was a beautiful and happy girl almost 6 years old, and Shane was just 4 - but everything a dad would want in a son.
Their aunt Marci, although she had suffered for several months with a misunderstood mental illness, was a loving mother, wife, sister and friend. My wife Danielle and I thought, as did others in our family, that Marci had fully recovered from her psychotic episode a few months earlier, but clearly that was not the case as she led herself and my children onto Route 495. Not a day goes by that I do not think about them, wishing that circumstances had come out differently.
It is based on that notion and quest that Danielle and I started a 501c3 charitable nonprofit called "Keep Sound Minds." Each and every goal of this organization directly relates to the consequences of ignoring mental illness, which led to the early and tragic deaths of our loved ones. With that in mind, we are proud to say we have achieved much in the last five years, including:
Produced a well-received police training DVD dealing with interacting with mental illness. This DVD has been sent to every police department in three states and is still in high demand.
Conducted two public forums on how to deal with mental illness and navigate the current mental health system, medically and legally.
Awarded several college scholarships to high school students who took an interest in mental health and suicide prevention.
Educated members of the New Hampshire and Massachusetts state legislatures about key bills that would have helped our family survive mental illness. One of these involved working with the Treatment Advocacy Center in Boston.
Through it all, the Treatment Advocacy Center has been a strong ally. We believe strongly in assisted outpatient treatment and the benefits it brings to the most vulnerable people.
This May 18, Keep Sound Minds will host an educational fundraiser, “An Evening to Support Mental Health Awareness,” in Woburn, Massachusetts. The agenda includes highly regarded speakers Dr. Jim Sabin from the Harvard Medical School and David Wellstone, son of the late U.S. senator, Paul Wellstone, who will discuss their own experiences with mental health issues and need for better access to mental health care.
If you feel strongly about our mission, we ask you to consider attending the event. More info is available here.
We know that we are not the only family to experience the tragic results of untreated mental illness, but we want to stop these tragedies from happening and we are asking for your help.
Thank you,
Ken Lambert
President, Keep Sound Minds
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