Story of Hope: Meet Tee

I needed HopeWay long before I ever found it. If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I would say: get help now.

I can trace my mental health struggles back to around 2009. I experienced racism and discrimination during college that deeply impacted me and ultimately led to my first inpatient hospitalization.

From that time on, I struggled through major depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, and eventually a suicide attempt in October 2023. After leaving the hospital, my partner and her family searched for a place where I could continue treatment instead of going home and falling back into crisis. That search led us to HopeWay.

I truly believe that coming to HopeWay and the people at HopeWay changed, and saved, my life.

Transitioning from the hospital to HopeWay was one of the biggest blessings I’ve ever experienced. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was met with compassion, encouragement, and genuine care from the entire team.

I had never experienced an environment where people were so positive and so invested in helping me heal.

One of the most transformative parts of my recovery was working with my psychiatrist Dr. Fedchenko. She not only referred me to ECT treatments but also worked collaboratively with me on medication adjustments that made a tremendous difference. Dr. Fedchenko always listened to my feedback and made me feel like an active participant in my own treatment instead of simply being told what to do. That same spirit extended to the therapists and nursing staff as well. It truly felt like a team effort, with people constantly asking, “How can we work with you to help you feel better?”

If I could speak to myself 10 years ago, I would say: it’s going to be okay. You’re going to learn how to love yourself. You’re going to meet incredible people who will walk beside you through healing and self-discovery.

That is something I desperately needed to hear, even five years ago, because there was a time when I truly didn’t believe I would live to see 36. The fact that I am here today feels like both a blessing and a testament to the people who helped carry me through the darkest moments of my life.

Today, hope means something very different to me. It means a chance to see tomorrow.

I will forever be grateful for HopeWay, for the people who supported my healing journey, and for the donors whose generosity makes this kind of care possible for so many others.