Community invited to hear mother talk about Children’s Mental Health

Quilt of Honour: Please Do Not Forget My Daughter

The Rainbow District School Board’s Parent Involvement Committee will host a special guest speaker on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.  The entire community is invited to hear Susan Hess, the mother of a daughter with serious mental health problems, share her story and the story of other courageous children and their families who have let their names stand on a Quilt of Honour. The presentation will take place at 7 pm at Gatchell School.

“One of the biggest challenges facing children with mental illness and their families is the shame and stigma of mental health problems,” said Hess.  “Fear of stigma and the resulting discrimination discourages people from getting the help they need.”

Susan Hess is past President of Parents for Children’s Mental Health.  After years of trying to find help for her daughter, she was able to access services and treatment at a children’s mental health agency in Windsor, Ontario.  Her daughter is now a high school graduate and award winning volunteer at a seniors’ centre.

A strong advocate for resources to meet children’s mental health needs, Susan Hess was the driving force behind the creation of a Quilt of Honour, designed to be a visible testament to all children who struggle with mental illness. The names of the children on the Quilt of Honour represent young people with tremendous potential, locked in a world of darkness caused by their illness and a system struggling to meet their needs.

Susan Hess was a member of the Board of Children’s Mental Health Ontario for the past six years. She was also a member of the Consumer Advocate Network and the Advisory Council, standing committees of the Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health. She continues to serve on the Family Care Advisory Committee for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. She established National Child and Youth Mental Health Day held annually on May 7th.

Since 2003, Susan Hess has spoken to a wide variety of audiences at close to 300 events to help people understand the needs of children with mental health issues and encourage families who have children with mental health challenges to overcome the stigma they feel.  Her only wish is that mental illness in children will be viewed by society the same way that a physical illness is viewed, and that children will not have to wait to obtain services that they so desperately need.

Gatchell School is located at 31 Tuddenham Avenue in Sudbury. From downtown Sudbury, travel west on Lorne Street, turn right on Tuddenham Avenue and turn left at the stop sign at the top of the hill.

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,

Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,

Rainbow District School Board, 674-3171, ext. 7217.