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More used to giving awards than receiving
(although I am an official Duke of Paducah, but
that’s a story for a different day), I was somewhat
surprised when my local Mental Health Association
announced my name as one of their annual EPIC award
recipients. Since the organization means a
heck of a lot to me and so many other family
caregivers, I am grateful, surprised and honored.
This will be the 18th consecutive year that the
Mental Health Association (MHA) of Southeast
Florida will honor recipients of the Exceptional
People Impacting the Community (EPIC) Awards and I
am in some pretty heady company.
The other recipients of the EPIC award are doing
much of the hands-on support for those living with
mental health challenges in our community. They are:
Kristine Carleson of Rebel Drop-In Center, Memorial
Hospital; Kathy London of Children's Diagnostic &
Treatment Center, Curtis Walker of Taskforce Fore
Ending Homelessness and Gail and Chuck Stambaugh of
The Seth Line.
We always invite the local mental health
organizations to our
Fearless Caregiver Conferences because our
ability to care for our loved ones is so often
affected by their mental health and well-being.
There are three other reasons that I will be
overwhelmed this coming Wednesday at the awards
luncheon.
First, is how the work of the MHA has affected my
own family. My
Uncle Mikey, who I adored, returned home from
Vietnam a changed man and, as in all issues dealing
with mental health, it affected the entire extended
family.
