The father-daughter team of Jim “Mattress Max” McIngvale and Elizabeth McIngvale-Cegelski brought their story of struggling with Elizabeth’s obsessive-compulsive disorder to the Beacon of Hope Luncheon on Wednesday, February 11.
With more than 450 guests attending the Grant Halliburton Foundation fundraiser at the Westin Galleria, they kicked things off w
ith a video interview with Barbara Walters that aired on “Good Morning America” 10 years ago. That’s how long the McIngvales have been warning the world of the “horrors and feelings of hopelessness mental illness brought to their family.”
Elizabeth’s “hope is given in the form of education and empowerment, removing the stigma of mental illness and improving access to help.”
Neatly coinciding with the McIngvales’ focus on young people and their families battling emotional and mental issues was the announcement regarding Teen Contact. Despite the Contact Crisis Line being shuttered in December, the Grant Halliburton Foundation has integrated the Crisis Line’s Teen Contact into its own programming by training more than 3,200 students and staffers.
This development fits with the Foundation’s mission “to help prevent suicide, promote better mental health and strengthen the network of mental health resources for teens and young adults.”
(Editor’s note: Someone might want to update the Grant Halliburton Foundation’s website. It still lists the Contact Crisis Line’s services as being in operation. Families in distress don’t need to get an “out-of-service” message.
UPDATE (Saturday, February 28, at 4:18 p.m.): A Grant Halliburton Foundation representative just reported the following: “The GHF website has been updated.” Congratulations on a speedy response, GHF! BTW, it’s a very thorough list of services available to help those seeking better mental health.
* Photo credit: Dana and Daniel Driensky