For those who don't know us, my name is Alyssa Hampton, founder of Wings of Resilience, and alongside me is Niki, who has been an incredible part of helping bring this mission to life. We're two moms who connected during some of the most difficult chapters of our lives. And while neither of us could have imagined where that connection would lead, I'm grateful it happened.
A little over two and a half years ago, I found myself navigating a world I knew very little about. My daughter's mental health was in crisis, and suddenly, I was faced with decisions, terminology, and systems I had never encountered before.
I remember how lost I felt.
I didn't understand the different levels of treatment. I didn't know what resources were available, where to turn, or even what questions I should be asking. What I did know was that my daughter needed help, and I was determined to find it. What followed were years of hospitalizations, treatment programs, countless appointments, and thousands of miles traveled in search of care. But beyond the challenges of navigating the mental health system, there was another struggle I hadn't anticipated.
The isolation.
It's difficult to put into words what it feels like to be responsible for making decisions about your child's mental health when you're still trying to understand what you're facing. There were moments when I desperately needed someone who had been there before me. Someone who understood the fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion that comes with caring for a child in crisis. Not someone who had all the answers. Just someone who understood. And that's where Niki comes into the story.
Niki reached out to me while her own daughter was experiencing a mental health crisis. What started as two mothers connecting over shared experiences turned into conversations about the challenges we'd faced, the resources we'd struggled to find, and all the things we wished we'd known when our journeys first began. We quickly realized how much we had in common, particularly the feeling of being lost in a system we were desperately trying to understand. And we kept coming back to the same thought.
There had to be other parents feeling just as lost and alone as we had.
I'd been thinking about creating some type of support group for parents navigating their children's mental health challenges, but I hadn't quite figured out what that would look like or where to begin. Niki was the one who encouraged me to follow through with that idea. And sometimes, that's all it takes. Someone who believes in an idea enough to encourage you to take that first step.
That was the beginning of Wings of Resilience. 💜
Since then, Niki has been an incredible partner in helping build connections throughout our community, bringing new ideas to the table, supporting outreach efforts, and helping us find opportunities to make a difference.
What started as a simple idea to bring parents together has slowly grown into something much bigger. Over the past year, we've had opportunities to meet families, hear their stories, share resources, collaborate with community organizations, and begin having some important conversations surrounding youth mental health. And now, we're taking another meaningful step forward as we begin the process of establishing Wings of Resilience as a nonprofit organization.
We've also learned that while so much attention is rightfully focused on helping children in crisis, the parents and caregivers standing beside them often need support of their own. And that's the heart of Wings of Resilience.
Turning pain into purpose.
I never wanted another parent to experience the isolation and confusion I felt during those early days. And while I know we can't prevent every family from experiencing those challenges, I believe we can help make the journey a little less lonely and the resources a little easier to find.
Over a year ago, two moms connected because our daughters were struggling. Today, that connection is helping us build something we hope will make a meaningful difference for families throughout our community.
With love,
