After her son, 12, takes his own life, a mother in Chicago decides to do something about it by founding an organization called Gabriel’s Light.

On Monday, which is World Mental Health Day, a local mother is working to bring awareness to the mental health problem that is affecting our nation’s young people.

Her son was only 12 years old when he passed away by taking his own life.

Now, she wants other people to be aware of the warning signs that indicate a child is having difficulty. Other teenagers from the surrounding area are also assisting her in her objective.

When Gabriel entered a room, it was as if a spotlight had been turned on. On a day that was intended to shed focus on issues related to mental health, his mother Carol Deely made this statement.

“He said he was going to go upstairs to do his homework. And that was the last time that we saw him alive,” remembered Deely.

After Gabriel’s death four years ago, Deely said she learned about his struggles through other students at the school where he attended. She claimed that if she had been aware, she would have taken action.

“Had drawn pictures in his notebook of different ways to take your life and had given a presentation at school about a lonely, sad boy,” Deely said.

Deely has channeled her suffering and her enthusiasm into the establishment of Gabriel’s Light, an organization that focuses on the education and prevention of issues related to the mental health of young people. According to her, this is a subject that isn’t discussed nearly enough.

This is where Campbell Meszaros enters the picture. An upperclassman at Walter Payton College Prep who is a junior. She represents Gabriel’s Light as a youth ambassador for the organization. Gabriel was a classmate of hers, and ever since he passed away, she has made it her mission to educate people about the importance of mental wellness.

“I’ve been able to aid folks, like obtain help. As I’ve mentioned to teachers in the past, and as I’ve assisted students who had no one else to turn to outside their contemporaries, “Meszaros stated.

She did this by using social media to bring more attention to the issue of mental health, as well as by ensuring that there was opportunity for an open debate in her school.

“I can help more than like the average kid and I feel like that’s really valuable to like, be there for your classmates,” Meszaros said, adding that they just launched a new program that is part of a national concept to treat mental health in the same way that we treat first aid. Meszaros was referring to the fact that we are treating mental health in the same way that we treat first aid.

This is a certification course that lasts for a total of six weeks and teaches students how to provide assistance to a person who is experiencing a crisis.

“Before someone can obtain help, you can play a significant role in being an attentive listener and asking the appropriate questions in order to facilitate their access to assistance.”