Angie Green-Hill loves her life.
She wouldn’t have been around for this day if she had succeeded in ending her life a year-and-half ago.
“It was the day before my 39th birthday,” said Green-Hill. “I woke up to hearing the kids playing outside with my husband. And I thought, 'They don’t need me' and 'They’ll be so much better without me.'”
She recalled the time before she decided to take her life as being stressful and nerve wracking.
“I had a lot on my plate,” said Green-Hill, who was diagnosed at 21 with bipolar disorder with anxiety. “A new job after a decade of being at home. I had crazy work hours. I never saw my kids, my husband. My son was going off to kindergarten in September.”
A friend responded to the mass text message Green-Hill sent out right before she walked into the garage to kill herself.
Rescued, Green-Hill discovered a chance to start anew.
“I honestly thought that if I don’t do this, where am I going to be in three weeks?” she said, explaining her decision to go to the three-week Day Hospital program at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH). “I said to myself, ‘I need to do this for myself, my kids, husband and family and friends.’”
The program gave her something to look forward to every day.
“It’s a huge deal for people with depression,” she said. “I got up, I got showered, and I got dressed. For three weeks, that was my routine.”
She credits the program for helping turn her life around.
Now working at the Salvation Army Thrift Store, every day she uses the techniques taught during the day program. Green-Hill said she has a binder of all the paperwork that was shared with her by the mental health experts heading the program.
“The group was amazing,” said Green-Hill. “I lucked out having those amazing people in my group. I am still friends with two girls from the group.”
With a new lease on life, she decided she would give back to the program.
Last year, Green-Hill organized an online auction and raised $12,000. This year, she hopes to exceed that amount and raise $15,000.
“The day program taught me I should be myself. I have nothing to hide. I shouldn’t be ashamed of a chemical imbalance in my head.
“That’s why it’s so important for me to raise money for this program,” said Green-Hill. “They got my life back on track for me.”
It’s not an obligation, she said. She loves fundraising, and this year three friends are helping her bring together the auction.
The auction goes live on Facebook on May 1 and closes on May 27.
“The money is going to a great cause,” said Green-Hill. “People should get their wallets out and be prepared to bid. There’s something for everyone from a five-year-old to a 99-year-old. There are several items with varying values.”
She said she has received many donations from local businesses. Items include Steeped Tea packages, Scentsy items, a homemade knitted blanket, a kid-sized Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, a travel voucher for $150, restaurant gift cards and much more.
“The generosity is unbelievable,” said Green-Hill. “More businesses have joined in since last time. The word is out, which is awesome.”
With this money, she said, the day hospital program could bring in guest speakers and add more activities for those using the program.
“They’re going to buy iPads using the money I raised last year,” said Green-Hill, beaming. “They can update the material and add even more stuff now.”
Knowing what she has been through, her friends now regularly reach out to her for support. Green-Hill said she isn’t a psychologist, but she’s always there for her friends to offer her support.
“My advice is always: Get to your doctor,” said Green-Hill, who speaks about her mental health journey at public forums and will be at Ramara Public Library on May 24. “If it’s a crisis, go to the emergency room and see a crisis worker, who will help you. Doctors are so much more aware of it now. They’re really starting to understand it all.”
The open auction group can be found on Facebook by typing in Online Charity Auction 2018: Mental Health, where Green-Hill has begun putting up sneak peaks of items.
