'Why I Stay': N.S. teen shares reasons she chose to live to help others struggling with depression

A Nova Scotia teen is giving hope to people who are contemplating suicide in her first book, “Why I Stay.”

Gabby Scollard, 19, wrote the book after her own bout of depression.

“I got diagnosed with depression and I was really struggling with suicidal thoughts and so when those thoughts were taking over I would write down a reason why I should stay. So that’s where the name obviously came from,” says Gabby.

After she recovered, Gabby decided to share those reasons with others who might also be struggling.

She recently published them in a book, which provides readers with “365 reasons to stay alive when your mind is giving you every reason not to.”

“Each page has a reason that someone who might be struggling with suicidal thoughts would want to stay alive,” explains the teen author.

“So, whether that’s deep contemplative thoughts or simple things like a perfectly toasted bagel, it’s just little things that might make you smile and break the cycle of hopelessness that you’re experiencing.”

Gabby’s mother, Deanne Scollard, says it’s important for children and their parents to talk about depression.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who have contacted us to tell us they have gone through similar things,” said Deanne.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are, it is a mental illness, you are sick and you are struggling and you shouldn’t be ashamed of that,” said Gabby.

While it’s hard to see your child struggle, Deanne says she is proud of her daughter and happy to see her come out the other side.

“To see Gabby go from struggling, to not wanting to be here, to today, where she is happy again and helping others, is extremely overwhelming as a parent,” she said.

Gabby is also proud of the impact she’s made, saying she’s received messages from people who credit her book for helping to save them.

“It’s so crazy to see that there can be so much light at the end of the tunnel when I didn’t even think I would have a future,” she said.