Tribute to Mental Health Hero – Amy Bleuel
As it is Mental Health Awareness Week, it is fitting to think of mental advocates who have played / are playing a vital role in the work they do to promote awareness of mental health issues and also deal with the stigmas.
Today, we would like to pay tribute to Amy Bleuel, the founder of Project Semicolon. Project Semicolon was founded in 2013. Her faith based organisation was formed ten years after the death of Amy’s father who had died by suicide. It was set up in honor of him and was a loving trubute. It sent across a powerful message that Your story is not over
Now, the semicolon, (for those English subject ‘swots’ that you guys are 🙂 ) is a punctuation used in grammar. The writer uses a semicolon to suggest the sentence is not over (though he/she could have chosen to end the sentence). Rather the semicolon suggests that there is a continuation.
This powerful symbol of the semicolon used by Amy, was a very potent and hopeful love message to all. That life does indeed continue…
Life continues even after a very painful experiences such as the death of a loved one by suicide. Or being diagnosed with a mental illness. It does not have to be the end.
Amy’s story is a very courageous one even though it is a sad one… Her parents divorced when she was a little child. Amy lived with her father and step mum and consequently endured abuse. She had to be taken into care/state custody by the time she was only 8 years old.
In her lifetime, Amy dealt with self harm, depression, sexual abuse, several suicidal attempts, rape, a miscarriage and alcoholism.
But she was a shining and a burning light that reached out to people that were desperate… even when she had to confront the darkness that threatened so many times to swallow her up. Her faith played a big role in her life in helping Amy find that Christ like love.
Just don’t let them forget why I was here because that is important – Amy Bleuel
By 2015, many were putting semicolon tattoos on their body identifying with Amy’s vision and goal that their story was not over yet. It was a powerful message against the stigma and discrimination of mental illness.
Sadly, Amy died in March 23 2017 at the tender age of 31. The cause of death was ruled as suicide. Even though this was not the outcome many would have thought, the seeds of hope that Amy planted are deep in the ground.
Project Semicolon shows the power of love, selflessness and vision. One person with a vision can affect so many lives. A person may die, but their vision can live on. Even though Amy is no longer with us, her vision lives on.
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