Your Dream is Our Reality

A posthumous letter to my daughter

Dearest Rebecca,

You were a game-changing doer with a big dream and bigger passions. No matter how daunting the goal you carried forward and made it happen. You achieved the challenge of ‘promoting compassionate understanding of depression and bipolar disorder as real diseases.

Why? Because you lived with and suffered from depression and bipolar diseases until the end of your life at only thirty years old. You wanted, needed, desired to help others show compassion and understand how it feels to live such a life. You wanted, needed, desired to educate all people, but especially those who did not understand, from deep within their souls, what the world looks like through the eyes of those living with depression and bipolar disorder.

YOU DID IT!

Those left behind after your death took your dream seriously. We thought about the path you wanted to pursue. We thought about how you would have exercised your extraordinary capacity for compassion and empathy. We thought about the future of a nonprofit called REBECCA’S DREAM.

As we approach the end of 2022, I want to explore a few programs and events we, your surrogates, have accomplished in the past six months.

Cultivation and Fundraising Events:

  • Being Bipolar in a Polarized World with Chicago Artist Kelly Matthews

  • University of Arizona Philanthropy Project (College students are the best!!)

  • Rebecca’s Dream’s 17th Annual Benefit (you would have loved it!)

  • Rebecca’s Dream’s Golf Charity Classic (RD’s First Golf fundraiser – great fun!!)

Dr. Harlan Haimes Scholarship Program:

Named in memory of our dear friend and co-founder Dr. Harlan Haimes (he loved you very much).

Five High School Recipients from across Illinois received scholarship dollars in honor of their outstanding essays regarding the impact they made in their schools and communities and their future desires to continue advocating for mental health awareness and education. These young people, Rebecca, are just like you were…eager to help others better their lives.

Recent Programming:

  • Teens, Activities and Technology: tips on finding a healthy balance

  • A Guide: understanding and recognizing mental illness’ in teens (wish we had programs like this when you were a teen)

  • Transitions and Life Changes: getting through tough times (what a help this program would have been for all of us)

  • Teens and Transitions: a guide for parents (the first program we wrote over ten years ago)

  • Journey to College: helping young adults entering a new life away from home

Rebecca, the above programs are offered to middle school and high school students, parents, teachers and social workers throughout Illinois. Brava!!

Junior Board Campaign:

Nothing would please you more than to know high school and college- age young adults are devoted members of RD’s Junior Board. They are eighteen strong with more students joining every month.

Junior Board programming includes:

  • Compassion In, Stigma Out: addressing the painful stigma surrounding mental illness.

Yes, my dear daughter, miserable stigma still exists but with the dedication of your Junior Board we’re starting to see a change and truly making a difference.

  • Mental Health support for the Highland Park community following the unbelievable mass shooting in downtown Highland Park on July 4th, 2022. (You would have been horrified)

Future Programming:

You’d be so excited to see what’s coming in 2023

  • Teen Stress, Anxiety and Depression May go Unnoticed: A Guide for You

  • My Mental Health Journey: RD Junior Board Members share their personal journeys (I told you these are special people!)

  • It’s Okay to not be Okay

Programs still in process include: Mental health in sports and Mental health in the arts.

We at Rebecca’s Dream encourage everyone to spend time looking at our website: RebeccasDream.org. It is filled with information people need and may not know they need.

Rebecca, we know you would be pleased with RD’s progress over the past eighteen years. With your spirit leading the way, many children, young adults and adults have been given hope, help and encouragement to live full and productive lives while managing their mental health.

We are grateful for your beautiful soul. We are grateful for those who support your dream and allow RD to live and thrive.

The Board of Directors and Junior Board of Rebecca’s Dream wish everyone all of life’s blessings in the New Year and beyond.

With gratitude,
Rebecca’s mom, Gail

Book Giveaway – The Power of Positive Stories

As 2023 approaches Rebecca’s Dream is honored to share our good fortune with you.

RD was selected by THE GOOD NEWS NETWORK as one of 21 organizations across America who are making a positive difference in the world of mental health. Rebecca’s Dream received 120 books –THE GOOD NEWS NETWORK – written by the inspirational Geri Weis –Corbley which we are giving away to 120 of YOU!

Please join RD, Geri and a therapist for a Zoom discussion and exploration of the power positive energy and thinking can have on your mind and body. Beginning 2023 with new tools to use in your life and share with loved ones will be truly powerful and rejuvenating.

Wishing you and yours a New Year filled with positive energy.

Zoom discussion will be held in February, date will be released shortly.