The Grace Unit is the voluntary mental health unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where I was admitted after my suicide attempt. I was losing my grip on reality and was convinced it was my only way to escape the pain. When I first arrived at the Grace Unit, I was a lot of things: scared, tired, sad, and ashamed. I was worried that I would get looked down upon because of my illness.

Kelsi saved my life. There is no question in my mind. She took the time to listen to me and hear my problems. She validated that what I was feeling was only temporary: "It will all be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end." She helped me gain the mindfulness and courage to have conversations with family members who have affected my past and present mental health in a constructive way, which allowed me to accept what happened and move forward instead of being in the depths of depression. When talking to people, I often explain that “I am bipolar”. Kelsi helped me learn that I’m not bipolar, that I HAVE bipolar, and it’s time to take my life back from this disease. That I need to separate myself from it “like a tumor,” if it goes unchecked, it takes over, which it felt like had already happened.

She helped me learn to communicate with my husband, who is ADHD, by telling me some of HER symptoms of ADHD that I did not understand before. Not only did she save my life she saved my marriage on top of that. There will never be enough gratitude to express how greatly she helped me through one of the darkest times in my life. The world needs more nurses like Kelsi. And I owe the happy life, I hope to live, all to her.