When our son was 16, he was taken to the hospital by police after threatening to jump from a rooftop at his school. He was admitted to the child and youth mental health unit, which marked the beginning of months in and out of hospital—and a long, difficult journey navigating the mental health and education systems.

At the same time, our daughter was starting university, my mother’s health was rapidly declining, and we were trying to keep up with work and life. It was overwhelming.

When our son was discharged, we had no idea what to do next. We were scared and exhausted. What we needed most was someone who had been through something similar—someone who could guide us through supporting a son in crisis, a daughter in need of emotional care, and an aging parent requiring support. We needed information, trusted resources, and most of all, hope. But that kind of support didn’t exist.

Seven years later, we found ourselves back in the hospital, once again seeking safety for him. We couldn’t help but wonder—if we’d had the right support earlier, would that New Year’s Day text—“Can you take me to the hospital?”—have ever come? And when did our need for support actually begin?

Maybe it started when we became parents. Or when I struggled with anxiety. When our son was diagnosed with ADHD. When our daughter needed support. When my mother was diagnosed with lupus. When our son’s challenges grew into OCD and addiction. Maybe it began even earlier—when my father died of cancer when I was a teen, or when my husband’s parents divorced during his adolescence.

I’m not sure when our need for support began—and I really don’t know when it ends. But I do know this: if we had somewhere to turn, a place that truly understood what we were facing and could walk with us through it, our path would have looked very different.

That’s why we created PEACE Family Support Services.

To be that place.

To walk with families—every step of the way.