Eating healthy and exercising was a part of my family’s routine. My Mom had a career as a Fitness Professional when she graduated from college and during her pregnancy with me. My dad also exercised daily after spending long hours at work. So, it was shocking when my dad went into cardiac arrest. He had never experienced any medical problems, had good reports at yearly physicals, and was a regular outdoor runner. But one day, while my dad was helping me with basketball drills at the gym, his heart went into atrial fibrillation, which is an abnormal heartbeat. I was terrified. My father was rarely sick, and now he was fighting to stay alive. I was in the 6th grade and playing on an AAU basketball travel team when my father was hospitalized for a week and diagnosed with Afib. Although he was an avid runner and lifted weights, the intensity of the basketball drills overly exerted Dad’s heart, along with work stress. Because of regular exercise and eating moderately healthy, my dad outran the stress test at the Cardiology visit. Therefore, the next step to ensure my father’s healthy recovery was blood pressure medication to assist his heart and a healthier eating plan. My Mom’s expertise as a Fitness Professional and assisting her clients with Nutrition gave her a guide on how to cook all of our favorite foods healthier. My dad’s health inspired her to create healthy and delicious meals for our family’s needs. My Mom also taught me how to cook using those same healthy ingredients so that I could live a healthy lifestyle. I already understood the importance of exercise as a student-athlete. I then understood why eating healthy had to be a part of life and not something I did to lose weight or stay fit as an athlete. Heart disease also affects my Mother’s side of the family. My Maternal great-grandmother had to have a quadruple bypass when my Mom was in college. My Grandmother had bypass surgery due to severe blockage in 2020. Four of her siblings died of heart attacks before the age of 50. And my Mom has had high cholesterol for most of her life despite healthy eating and exercise. Fortunately, her arteries remain clear, and medication has never been required. Thankfully, the changes my parents made for themselves and as a family helped us in the long run. Needless to say, I grew up in a home with healthy food options. And I learned how to make healthy choices when dining out. I also was not raised to fear food or live with a fear of heart disease, although there are high risks. My Parents have instilled valuable habits in me about how to appreciate life. And to treat my body and mind well by eating good, healthy food. Participating in exercise that makes me happy and prioritizing my mental health will minimize stress. I hope that instilling these habits moving forward will ensure that I have a heart-healthy life for me and future generations.

Growing up with ADHD and Generalized Anxiety was never easy, especially as a young child and student-athlete. There were challenges that I had to face that were often different from those of my friends and difficult to talk about. I had my first panic attack when I was in elementary school. I had already been struggling with ADHD, which was a side effect of brain surgery. Anxiety began after the quarterly trips to meet with Doctors and Specialists at different hospitals over 7 years. Panic Attacks were different. Anxiety was unpredictable. ADHD made me forgetful, hyper, and unprepared after I studied. But Anxiety and ADHD together were awful. Struggling with anxiety and ADHD made life as a child difficult because I overthought most things and didn’t want to be the center of attention. I’d do my homework and fail to submit it, study for exams, and fear I wouldn’t have enough time to finish. I also had moments of brain fog that would cause me to lose focus in the middle of my basketball games, which was embarrassing. However, with the support of my 504 Coordinator, School Counselor, Advocate, and Mom, I learned not to allow disabilities to define me. I chose to become more mentally aware of myself and others. With the decision to become mentally aware, I allowed myself to be open-minded about Academic Tutoring to assist with organization skills, time management, and better study habits to help with test-taking skills. And I started going to Therapy. Taking charge of my mental health not only helped with my mental stability, but I also became more confident and excited about helping others become more encouraged in their daily lives. It gave me a clearer picture of what I want to study in college for my career. I also realized that my mental health has to be a priority for me to succeed in my academics, personal life, and overall health. As I have continued with Therapy sessions and learned beneficial coping skills, I understand how important mental health advocacy is to be a part of my daily routine. Self-awareness and Emotional Intelligence have helped me articulate healthy boundaries during pivotal times in my life as a Student, Friend, and Family Member, which can all be challenging. Knowing how to communicate without being overwhelmed by anxiety but also having support has also been essential in my mental health growth. I’m grateful for learning to advocate for myself at such a young age. As kids, we think of adversity as a bad thing. However, knowing how to persevere through tough challenges will be needed for our purpose. Incorporating a positive mindset to overcome anxious thoughts and adversity has helped me live confidently as a college student. I’m not afraid to ask for help.

I had my first panic attack when I was in elementary school. I was already struggling with ADHD which was a side effect of brain surgery. But Anxiety was different. It had no warnings. I couldn’t control it no matter how hard I tried. I cried and felt afraid going to places that had large crowds of people, even if it was somewhere I wanted to go, including my basketball games. Because I never knew when I would be stricken with Anxiety, I had a hard time focusing. I often overthought everything which made things worse. This made it difficult to know how to ask for help. The one person who knew how to talk to me whenever I was overwhelmed was my Mom. My Mom’s genuine support and her teaching me how to advocate for myself have been pivotal in my Mental Health stability and compassion for others. She was my Mental Health Peer Advocate who taught me how to advocate for mental health awareness. My Mom is a Licensed Minister who writes and speaks about the importance of mental health awareness on social media platforms, in the community, and within the inner city Outreach Ministry. By serving alongside my Mother and dealing with Anxiety on a personal level, I grew to understand that Mental Illness does not discriminate. The Black community, just like other communities of people, suffered from mental and emotional stress, along with a lack of resources and awareness. I believe that mental health advocacy should be taught with inclusion, and compassion and made available for all people. By growing up in church and volunteering in the community, I learned the importance of trusting God while letting go of religious traditions. This meant being open to Therapy. Unfortunately within the Black community, sometimes culture and religious traditions place healing on a person’s ability to attend church, be strong, and salvation alone. These concepts often keep Black people from seeking essential help for mental health issues outside of church. However, faith without advocacy does nothing. Because my Mom believed in God and was determined to help me receive the right care that was best for my health, she normalized Therapy and Emotional Awareness. The Church and its Leaders must do a better job of supporting the Black Community and its members when dealing with mental health issues. Inclusive resources for awareness, healing, and application should be provided. Discussions on mental health advocacy and help should be within the church building. Choosing to go to therapy does not mean that a person is absent from God. This mentality has to change. Now that I am a freshman in college, I see the impact of having learned how to advocate for my Mental Health as a young black child. My Mother’s ongoing support shaped my life. Talking to school counselors when I felt stressed out about my grades and was having really bad days helped me when I could not talk to my Mom or my regular Therapist. I believe onsite Trained Licensed Counselors should be made available in Inner City Community Organizations as well as Black Churches. I also benefited from being on a school team that allowed us to have “round table discussions.” This allowed us to share our emotions in a safe space. Facilitated small groups that focus on mental health should be offered in more safe spaces along with resources from each state’s National Alliance on Mental Illness Organization information. This will teach people how to advocate for themselves and hopefully become a Peer Mental Health Advocate for someone else.

I had brain surgery when I was 2 years old. An arachnoid cyst was causing pressure on my brain, and I was developmentally delayed because of it. Within one year of the initial diagnosis, the cyst grew from the size of a dime to the size of a silver dollar. My head leaned to one side. Even though brain surgery was needed to relieve pressure on my brain, I still never slept. And I was constantly sick. So I had multiple appointments every week. I missed a lot of school. I began suffering from Anxiety when I was in elementary school. I was an honor roll student and was selected to be on a travel basketball team, but I started having panic attacks. My Parents tried everything to help me calm down, but nothing helped. No amount of caring words or gentle hugs soothed my inability to breathe or think clearly. I loved playing basketball. I could drown out all of the noise and get in the zone. It made me happy. I was a shooting guard and went to basketball training to work on my skills and development. But I cried before every practice and game because we had to meet at different locations. I would sit in the car with my Parents, cry and hyperventilate. No matter how early we left our home, I was terrified of being late. I didn’t want to change my shoes. I cried because I didn’t want to go inside of buildings. Every new building reminded me of a hospital building and a doctors office. I was suffering and couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted to be a normal kid, play with my friends at school and enjoy sports. I didn’t want to travel to doctor appointments anymore. But most of my Doctors were out of town. My Neurosurgeon was at UAB Children’s Hospital. The Endocrinologist was at Vanderbilt, and I had my local Orthopedic Specialist, Early Intervention Occupational Therapist and Pediatrician in Huntsville. I cried during every appointment trip. My Mom cried because she didn’t know how to calm me down while she was driving. It was a rough 6 years. I was released from UAB and Vanderbilt by the time I was 8 years old. A fear of going to new places had already set it. And I continued to get sick. An Immunologist and Back Specialist were added to my list of doctors. I started having a hard time in school. My grades began dropping. I overthought everything. My Teachers gave me extra time to take tests and complete my work. I couldn't focus. I feared that I would take up too much time. I was embarrassed about sitting in a different classroom for extra time. I felt overwhelmed and didn’t understand what was wrong with me. The panic attacks were worse. By the time I was 10 years old, I didn’t want to go to school anymore. My Mom did research, and I began speaking with a Pediatric Psychiatrist and Counselor. They patiently listened to me and taught me healthy coping skills. My Mom learned them also. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety and ADHD. A 504 Plan was put on file at my school and has been accommodated wherever I attend school. Most importantly, I’ve learned the importance of Support, Advocacy and Mental Health Awareness.