Olympic great Michael Phelps brings awareness to mental health issues
All-time Olympic great and mental health advocate Michael Phelps shared his personal story of addressing mental health issues at the Kids’ Minds Matter signature gala on March 12. The sold-out event, which was held at Arthrex One in Naples, raised more than $2.6 million to support pediatric mental and behavioral health care in our region through Lee Health and Golisano Children’s Hospital, and their community partners.
To kick off the event, Lee Health Foundation System Director of Development Anne Frazier presented the Courtnage Courage in the Community Award to Jeanne Beaulieu in recognition of her hard work and dedication to mental health advocacy, including her own personal journey of raising a child with mental health challenges.
Frazier touched on the evening’s theme, The Ripple Effect, when talking about Beaulieu’s efforts. “She has given her time, dedicating countless hours to organizing, connecting and mobilizing others to support this cause. She’s given resources, generously sponsoring events both personally and through business connections, ensuring that Kids’ Minds Matter continues to grow and reach more families in need.”
Following Beaulieu receiving her award, high school junior Saylor Davis gave a powerful speech about her struggles with mental health, detailing her journey into anorexia during COVID lockdowns in June 2020. Davis described her downward spiral and praised the help she received with getting her back to a healthy life as a result of Kids’ Minds Matter’s impact in the community.
“After my diagnosis, Kids’ Minds Matter stepped in to help me get the care I needed. Through them, I was connected to a psychiatrist who helped me uncover something deeper,” she said. Davis added, “When Kids’ Minds Matter saved my life, they didn’t just give me another chance… they gave my mom her daughter back. They gave my family hope. And I know there are countless other families out there – parents, like mine, who are fighting alongside their children, desperate for help.”
Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all-time, shared how he learned to put equal emphasis on his physical and mental health after living with depression and anxiety for years. He also discussed the importance of being yourself as well as how critical it is to have access to care. “For me, winning a gold medal is awesome, but getting the chance to save a life is even better. You’ve heard Nicole talk and you’ve heard me talk, and yeah, I’ve looked suicide in the eye. It’s scary. I know there are people in the world who are struggling just like I am. I’m very thankful to get the help and care that I needed at the time that I did, but there are people who have to wait years to even see a therapist,” said Phelps.
The event, co-chaired by Bill and Debbie Toler and emceed by Anchor Kellie Burns of Gulf Coast NBC, also included a discussion about additional work that can be done to help children and families navigate the current challenges they face, including:
- Expanding emergency care for kids in crisis
- Developing an intensive outpatient program and partial hospitalization program
- Growing Golisano clinics throughout Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral and Naples
- Encouraging the adoption of outpatient group therapy to provide more accessible care
- Increasing the number of providers at existing practices to meet demand
- Expanding the Mental Health Navigator program to additional schools, ensuring children get the help they need when they need it
The evening concluded with an extraordinary show of generosity from those in attendance. One donor generously pledged $250,000 to start the Fund-a-Need in memory of his daughter. Noting the importance of supporting children and the challenges they face with mental health, Larry Courtnage pledged $500,000 along with his wife Kathy during a touching speech. That was followed by auctioneer Rick Gallo getting more paddles to go up resulting in a record-breaking evening for Kids’ Minds Matter fundraising.
Signature Sponsors included The Robb Family Foundation, FineMark National Bank & Trust and The Toler Foundation. Impact Sponsors were Stock Development, Dr. Rick & Ellie Klein, and Susan Goldy and Scott Spiezle.
To learn more about Kids’ Minds Matter or to become an advocate for children’s mental health, visit KidsMindsMatter.com.
