'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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.