Welcome to Wayward Angel Project. No matter what situation brought you here, we are happy to have you! This site is dedicated to our daughter who took her own life at the young age of 15. To us, our daughter was one of the most amazing, charismatic, funny, intelligent people we ever knew. She, like many of today’s younger generations, couldn’t see that about herself. Today’s headlines are filled with teens and young adults who are feeling they have no other choice but to end their own life. In fact, the same week our daughter made her choice, three other teens in our community made that same choice. Unfortunately, this is an epidemic plaguing our society and something needs to be done.
Our daughter was incredibly artistic, an amazing musician, a creative writer, and a jewelry designer. After her passing, we found an amazing picture our daughter took that she named “Wayward Angel”. That image, along with the drive to find a way to EMPOWER our youth after tragically losing one of the most precious people on the planet, led us to Wayward Angel Project.
Our Vision: Our vision for Wayward Angel Project is to come alongside the teens in our community and online, their parents and families, schools, and counselors to empower today’s youth. While all suicide is tragic and heartbreaking, our focus is on today’s teens and preteens. This is the population that is near and dear to our hearts.
Our Mission: Our mission is to empower these young adults to prove to them they are worth it. Our mission is to prove to them that they are more than their grades, family situations, and social status. Our mission is to create a culture of acceptance – not tolerance – for ALL of our young people whether they be gay, straight, transgender, nonbinary, white, black, Hispanic, jock, cheerleader, nerd, or whatever they identify as. Everyone counts. Everyone deserves to be seen and heard. Everyone is important and special and unique. Every. One.
There is a stigma surrounding mental health in our country, but it seems especially so for our teens and preteens. I can’t tell you how many times we were told our daughter was “seeking attention” or “it’s just a phase”. No one wants to think their baby is struggling and possibly in danger. That they could be secretly self-harming, degrading themselves, at war with their own mind, and contemplating suicide long before they may show outward signs. Sometimes they can act so defiant that it really does seem they are just being rebellious teens. It is time that we all open our eyes to the tragedy that is unfolding before our very eyes. It happens in every type of community and every part of the country. There is no exception.
Our youth are in trouble. They need our help.
They need to know that… Depression is real. So is hope.