It was a day like most others at the time. My Dad had died not long before, and life was feeling a bit overwhelming as it often does at times of grief. Still, I was functioning, moving through a world that had been turned upside down.
A Mother’s Heartbreak
I rarely answer calls from unknown numbers. But something made me pick this one up. It was my son James’s boss, calling from the hospital. James was struggling deeply with his mental health. “Hello, Lee? This is Sarah. I’m with James in the hospital.”
My heart stopped.
“What happened?” “Is he ok?” “Where is he?”
“We brought him to the hospital. He said he wanted to kill himself.” Her voice was calm, but her words shattered me.
As a mother, hearing that your child is in pain is devastating. James is a beautiful, kind, and compassionate soul. Despite his ADHD diagnosis and regular counseling, the weight of his invisible illness became too much to bear alone.
That was the second time James had been suicidal. The first was the summer after fifth grade. Back then, his teachers told him he was a “bad kid.” His classmates teased and bullied him. At just 10 years old, my son told me he thought the world would be better without him. Those were the most painful words I’d ever heard.
That summer, he was finally diagnosed with ADHD. When he was hospitalized again in 2011, additional mental health diagnoses followed, along with regular counseling. And for a while, things improved.
He found his way back to landscaping, the work he’d loved since childhood. His boss was his uncle. He lived with someone who had known him his whole life and he was working for his uncle. Both had been given detailed instructions about what to watch for—warning signs, red flags, when to call me.
But his uncle didn’t believe in mental illness.
Instead of offering support, he turned against James. The person James lived with dismissed the sick days, the migraines, the withdrawal. By the time they called me, it was too late. We were headed back to the hospital for the third time.
The Turning Point: Meeting Nelle
This was the moment James’s invisible illness became a recognized disability. However, hope was on the horizon. I will never forget the day I saw my son smile again. I cried when I saw the picture of him meeting Nelle, his life-saving service dog.
How Life-Saving Service Dogs Provide Hope
Nelle did more than just help James manage his symptoms. She reminded him that he wasn’t alone. She provided:
- Grounding: Helping him stay present during difficult moments.
- Purpose: Giving him a reason to get up and move forward each day.
- Unconditional Love: Offering support without judgment.
With Nelle by his side, James was finally able to return to the work he loves. Thank you, Nelle, for saving my son and bringing him back to me. Life-saving service dogs truly do change everything.
