As the country gathers together to celebrate a virtual Pride Day, the struggles of Black members of the LGBTQ+ community should be brought to light. Combatting cultural stigma to systemic racism, young people like Aja are repaving the way this community is seen and understood. The Quell Foundation is honored to share her story with […]
Category: Stories
Anton’s Story
We don’t expect a lot of things to happen to us. I didn’t expect my father to kill himself. I expected Friday, December 6th, 2019, to be any typical teenager’s day, a day filled with procrastination, a lack of sleep, and good times with friends. And it was. Until I finally got home. It was […]
Alyssa’s Story
“The only person with whom you have to compare yourself is you in the past.” Sigmund Freud Have you ever stopped to reflect on your past self and how far you’ve come? When I think about personal growth, I think about how much my life has changed in the past two years. In 2018, I […]
Amaris Kobolak’s Story
Amaris Kobolak, Communications Chair of The Quell Foundation Jr. Board of Directors and a student-athlete alumnus at the University of Pennsylvania, was the first speaker to lift her mask for the 2019 Masquerade Ball. She spoke to the pressures of “being perfect” and the pain endured through losing multiple teammates to suicide. To view a […]
A Letter to My Unborn Son
Today, May 7, is National Child Mental Health Awareness Day. Each year, National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and show that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development. For Quell-advocate and volunteer Dan Van Wert, the anticipation of the birth of his upcoming son […]
Zach Whitney’s Story
A junior at Lafayette College studying Neuroscience and a 2019 Quell Foundation Scholar, Zachary Whitney closed out the 2019 Masquerade Ball. He shared his personal story of resiliency and hope in the wake of the loss of his sister, Ciara, who died by suicide just two short years ago. To view a video of Zach’s […]
Sharon’s Story
In 2017, Sharon Abraczinskas was a turning point. Her beautiful and vibrant daughter was hospitalized for depression after her university’s counseling center immediately refused her treatment. Her daughter had reached a tipping point, and the school, seeing her as a liability, forced her to leave campus. Admittedly, the center was not equipped to deal with […]
Brianna’s Story
Through open, judgment-free dialogue, we can remove the stigma of mental health. Brianna Searles is a Quell scholar, and a Quell Junior Board member. THIS IS ME In only 20 short years, I’ve gone through a lot. I’m a daughter, sister, and friend. But that isn’t the whole of me. I have only shown my […]
Nina Stanley’s Story
Nina Stanley, the 46-year-old Philadelphia mother, and businesswoman had the symptoms of a heart issue, but the doctors kept pinning her health problems on stress and anxiety. “I was misdiagnosed and disregarded by eight different cardiologists over five years, said Stanley. “After thousands of hours of research, I diagnosed myself, found the right doctor, and […]
Run for Peace of Mind at the 2020 New York Marathon
Are you ready to Run for Peace of Mind and #RemoveTheStigma of #mentalhealth? The Quell Foundation is proud to announce that we are currently accepting applications for our charity bib at the 2020 TCS New York City Marathon! Last year, Lori Riggles from Alabama donned the “Remove the Stigma” jersey and ran the 2019 Boston Marathon in […]