By Renée Hartleib |
Cayley Fox and Kala Rafuse knew each other since they were three years old. The same pre-school, the same elementary school, the same high school, and then the same university. While Cayley entered the Sciences at Saint Mary’s, Kala studied Criminology and Sociology, but the two remained close.
Kala described Cayley as confident, well-liked, hilarious, and someone who never failed to light up any room she walked into. Cayley was also depressed, but not many people knew that.
In the fall of 2015, Cayley took herself to a Halifax hospital multiple times because she was suicidal. Each time, she was released within a few hours, and due to privacy laws, members of her family were not notified.
On January 22, 2016, Cayley took her own life.
Her death quickly turned Cayley’s mother, Carolyn, and some of Cayley’s friends, including Kala, into mental health advocates. Within a few months, they had presented themselves to the Nova Scotia Legislature, advocating for the gaps in the mental health system to be closed, and for increased funding for counselling, resources, and support for young people. The proposed bill, which has yet to pass, is called Cayley’s Law.
Back at Saint Mary’s, Kala developed a passion for suicide prevention. She approached the Healthy Minds Team to see if she could partner with them in the creation of some awareness-raising events.
Healthy Minds Team Assistant, Megan Wright, and Kala sat down together and planned an entire week of programming for the Fall of 2016. It was called “Strength from Loss: Survival After the Suicide of a Loved One,” and included a suicide prevention 101 workshop, a vigil, a “survivor’s night,” an open house for students at The Counselling Centre, and a varsity basketball game promoting mental health supports on campus.
Kala, who works in Financial Aid at Saint Mary’s, also felt strongly that she wanted to set up a scholarship in her friend’s name. Fundraising for the Cayley Fox Memorial Award has already garnered approximately $10,000.
“A lot has happened in the year since Cayley died,” says Kala. “There is more awareness around mental health issues and there are many new initiatives. I’m hopeful that these things will help other people who are in the same position Cayley was in. She couldn’t get the help she needed, but hopefully others will be able to.”
Dr. Brent Conrad, a clinical psychologist, believes that the dedication of people like Kala and the Healthy Minds Team is helping to decease the stigma of mental health issues, so that more people who need help can get it. “Research consistently finds that most people who could benefit from mental health treatment never reach out for assistance.”
Conrad and his team often hear from alumni who wish that more mental health resources had existed when they went to school. He always encourages those people to give back. “Our students have already accomplished so much with small amounts of funding,” he says. “I can confidently say that more funding would allow us to reach more students, leave a larger impact on the community, further decrease stigma, and save lives.” ″
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