It was a bittersweet moment for the Kelly family on Saturday morning as they crossed the finish line together at the annual walk held in memory of their beloved daughter and sister, Addison Kelly, who died by suicide in 2022.
The emotions were clear as participants cheered them on; Kirk Kelly, Addison’s dad, wiped tears away, with his daughters Brittany and Emily and wife Rhonda at his side.
Rhonda, Addison’s mom, said she was overwhelmed by the support shown by the more than 1,100 participants that turned up at the Paseo, Camana Bay, for the Addison Kelly Butterfly 5k.
“All people who were friends with Addi, their parents, the sponsors, it is just amazing… [I’m] again blown away,” she told the Cayman Compass at the event.
The second annual walk was organised by the family to raise funds for the Addison Kelly scholarship created in memory of Addison, who passed away at the age of 16 on 8 Feb., 2021.
The teen had been struggling with mental health challenges.
Rhonda said seeing the community come out and support mental health awareness in such a public way meant everything to her.
“It’s something that we haven’t talked about. Mental health is health, and until we kind of get the whole community to that point where we all understand that it is as important as taking care of our heart, as taking care of our brain, and until that happens, we’ll keep doing this,” she said.
Awareness is important
Rhonda said the book ‘Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief’ helped her find her way after losing her daughter.
“It got me back to work, and I found meaning. It doesn’t make the pain any better. It just gives it meaning and it gives it somewhere to go. I think that the only way you can overcome this kind of grief is by trying to find a way to help others. And I hope that we’ve done that. I think that we’ve done that to some level, but we continue to do that, and it’s a full family effort,” she added.
South Carolina visitor Suzanne Gallup, who will celebrates her 79th birthday in two weeks, said she had to join the cause on her holiday.
“I’m just thrilled to be here. [Mental health awareness] is very important to me. I think since COVID, we have a lot of young people that are seriously having mental health issues. Not to say older people aren’t either, but young people, I think, are having serious times. So I’m very concerned about it,” she said.
Gallup said the idea that one would take their life when they have so much to give is really sad.
“So I will run and do whatever I can [to help],” she said.
Gallup said she has been coming to the Cayman Islands for 40 years and has deep affinity for the community.
Seven-year-old Gabriella Meaker was among the many kids participating, and said she enjoyed being able to join the event.
“I liked it. I had fun,” she said clutching her shiny new medal.
Health Minister Sabrina Turner also did the walk, along with members of her ministry team.
Mental health resources
If you, or others you know, are struggling with issues similar to those raised by this article, there are resources available to help.
- In an emergency, call 911.
- Mental Health Helpline. Call 1-800-534-6463 (MIND) Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, to talk to the Mental Health Helpline, which was established during the pandemic to provide support.
- The Alex Panton Foundation. The non-profit’s primary objective is “raising awareness of mental illnesses affecting children and young adults in the Cayman Islands with a particular focus on anxiety and depression”. It aims to “provide hope and resources to friends, family, teachers, classmates and carers to help save the lives of children and young adults struggling with mental illness”. The Foundation was established in memory of Alex Panton, who succumbed to the effects of severe depression at the age of 16.
- Department of Children and Family Services. For non-critical services provided by the department, email [email protected] or call 949-0290 in Grand Cayman and 948-2331 in Cayman Brac Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm.
- The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre. The charity provides support to all victims of domestic violence via “services and programmes focusing on domestic and sexual abuse”. Among its services are providing shelter, counselling, a 24/7 crisis helpline (943-2422) and a kids’ helpline (649-5437).
- There are a number of private health care providers offering counselling and support, such as Infinite Mind Care and the Wellness Centre.
Related Videos
