Dear Editor,

Kindly permit me space in Jamaica’s number one newspaper to publicly commend the sponsors of a recently held annual treat for the mental health patients at Spalding mental health clinic.

During Mental Health Week between October 8 and 14 over 100 mental health patients were presented with care packages as a mark of love and support. As the organiser of the annual treat and a mental health patient myself, I would like to extend profound gratitude to all the people who made a tangible contribution towards the treat.

Special thanks to Jeremy Palmer, Keith Wellington, Lloyd Swaby, Aldayne Porter, Christopher Tyme, Osmond Bartley, Avril Sinclair, and Pearlene Sharpe as well as the Kiwanis Club of Spalding-Christiana, headed by President Devon Miller. The generosity and goodwill of these donors enabled me to treat all the patients at the mental health clinic and send a positive message to the wider society that mentally ill people’s lives matter. This annual treat is one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life for which I extend myself with love, passion, compassion, and humility.

Thanks again to all those who continue to support the mentally ill population in Spalding and its environs. Many thanks to the Jamaica Observer for the tremendous role the newspaper plays in educating the public about issues related to mental health and giving ordinary people like myself a voice to “right” our own stories and help to normalise discussions around mental health.

Let us continue to advocate and action for the fair treatment of the community of the mentally ill. Let us accentuate the mantra “there is no good health without good mental health”. Therefore, let us all be kind to ourselves and others by first being kind to our minds.

Let us continue to work together to support the community of the mentally ill to unveil the hidden struggles and obstacles endured daily. The mentally ill population needs our collective attention and care to overcome the barriers that hold us back. By promoting honest and open conversations about mental health and championing the cause for increased access to quality mental health services and psychiatric care, we can pave the way for a brighter future for people living with mental illness. The word is always love!

Andre’ A O Wellington

Mental health patient and advocate

andrewellington344@yahoo.com