Brynn Clifford

For uncle Les

When I was 15 years old, my parents said we are going to grandmas house to visit. Odd- why was nobody happy about this? What was the occasion? Why is nobody speaking? We sat down at the table, everybody was quiet, and it was clear something was wrong. They tell us that my uncle Les is dead, but they don’t say much. I have a feeling it was not your typical situation- no surprise medical emergency, no car accident, no construction job gone wrong. So I asked, “how?” 

Over the following days and weeks I had lots of questions, many of which my parents did not know how to answer. They were grieving, my family was planning his celebration of life, and figuring out how to best help his girlfriend and 3 small children in BC. This to me was the most confusing part of why he did what he did, I remember saying to my mom “but he has a baby at home”. 

My uncle Les was a ball of fun. He always knew how to make my siblings and I laugh, him and my dad would spend days together when he came home to Manitoba. Three years before this my siblings and dad went to BC and spent a week with him, I stayed at home to dance at a wedding, this is time that I wish I’d had with him. I still haven’t met my cousins I’m BC who are teenagers now. 

A year  before this happened I was starting high school, I had started having panic attacks, always felt anxious, and was pushing away my friends. As a way to cope, and not deal with my problems I had a full schedule. I didn’t take spares, I had classes  before and after school, dance classes after this, and had a job. I didn’t seek mental health help until years later during the pandemic when I was in nursing school. 

As an emergency nurse now I deal with mental health almost daily. My patients come in before, during, and sometimes after they have had a mental health crisis. We work closely with our psychiatric nurses to keep our patients safe, and I always try take a little extra time to chat with them if they are willing. Then I go home, and take my own antidepressants before bed. They have changed my life. 

I'm completing 2,000 push-ups in 18 days to raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Mental Health Association. Please support me as I #pushforbetter from February 11-28.

All proceeds help the Canadian Mental Health Association to support mental illness recovery and foster positive mental health in Canada.

Je vais faire 2 000 push-ups en 18 jours pour sensibiliser les gens et recueillir des fonds pour l’Association canadienne pour la santé mentale. En relevant #ledefipushup en février, je me mets #enaction pour la santé mentale. Merci de m’appuyer!

Tous les dons aideront l’Association canadienne pour la santé mentale à appuyer le rétablissement des personnes ayant un trouble de santé mentale et à améliorer les résultats en matière de santé mentale au Canada.