Approximately one in five adults — or nearly 20 percent of the U . S . population — suffer from some degree of mental illness , according to NAMI . Nearly 60 percent of those never seek treatment .
“ I lived my life with [ my mother ] and her illness for many years and I saw the daily struggles she experienced ,” says Mascaro . “ I truly believe the stigma associated with mental illness is what killed my mother .”
Mascaro adds that she and her brother saw firsthand how people who suffer from mental illnesses don ’ t typically benefit from the same type of support those with physical illnesses receive . Her mother , a former nurse , struggled to maintain her job , as well as relationships with friends and family .
“ No one sent her a card or flowers . No one brought her dinner or took her out to lunch . It was very hard to look at my mother , who was beautiful and kind , and think that she was sick ,” she says . “ My mother was incredibly kind and loving and sweet and smart . She was a nurse for many years and a grandmother who adored and loved her two children so very much .
“ If she [ had been ] losing her hair or losing weight or fatigued and tired all the time and missing work because of a physical illness , the outcome would ’ ve been different . She would ’ ve been surrounded by friends and family . Everyone would comment on how strong she was for fighting an illness . She did not get any of that , simply because she had a mental illness .”
Her brother agrees , pointing out that mental illness can seem “ foreign ” to anyone who doesn ’ t have firsthand experience with it .
“ Witnessing our mother ’ s treatment from the public and from some family and friends was almost as bad as dealing with the illness itself ,” Kane says . “ There is a terrible misconception that those with mental illnesses are weak or can ‘ snap out of it ’ if they want . It is deplorable .”
The Green Light Gala was a way to initiate a much-needed discussion about mental illness , according to the siblings .
“ We would have been happy with a decent amount of money raised , but the most important thing was the people there who talked about mental illness and started the conversation ,” says Mascaro . “ I ’ ve had many people reach out to me and tell me how thankful they are for my brother and I being so open about our mother ’ s suicide and for having the gala . I know we ’ ve helped many people and it ’ s just the beginning .”
For more information about NAMI or to find help for mental illness , visit namiswpa . org . ■
“ No one sent her a card or flowers . No one brought her dinner or took her out to lunch . It was very hard to look at my mother , who was beautiful and kind , and think that she was sick .”
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