2/2 Clueless scheduler from the pediatrician's office called me today that Rader was due for a well check. When I responded that we unfortunately lost him to suicide two years ago, she stammered an "I'm sorry" and then hung up on me. #nothelpful #griefsupport #knowbetterdobetter
— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) June 27, 2019
Pride Month: affirmation of LGBTQ folks boosts mental health
birthday week celebrations continue!
Mario Monday: Super Mario Odyssey puzzle complete!
crisis text line # could appear on college student IDs
pride month: trans youth matter
Krishnan co-chairs the American Psychological Association’s Committee for Transgender People and Gender Diversity, which is part of the Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Her website is miracharlotte.com.
increasing the scholarship fund and expanding Rader's legacy
Since the fundraiser was only posted on Facebook yesterday, I thought it would be good to let our Instagram and Twitter followers know about it, too. In less than 48 hours, our generous social media followers blew past our goal of funding one $3,000 scholarship! So since there are almost two weeks until the fundraiser ends, I increased the goal to $6,000.
celebrating my 50th with a fundraiser!
Facebook encourages users to observe their birthdays by hosting a fundraiser. So for my 50th, I am raising funds for the foundation! (Click to visit the Facebook fundraiser.)
Tomorrow (June 21) is my 50th birthday. I am asking for support for the Rader Ward Foundation! Your donation goes entirely toward Montessori tuition for creative elementary and middle school students in need who aren’t well served by the traditional public school system.
We started the foundation two years ago when our 15-year-old son died by suicide.
The happiest years of his life were those he spent at Montessori School of Mauldin, from age 3 through 5th grade. So we decided we would honor him with a memorial scholarship fund, hoping to give other students the same opportunity to discover their love for learning with a nontraditional education.
The foundation has just awarded its first two scholarships of $3,000 each to Montessori students for the 2019-2020 academic year! Please donate so we may continue our work and carry out Rader’s legacy, by helping kids who may not fit the mold to find their place in an environment where they are valued for their individuality.
[The Rader Ward Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our partner schools are Montessori School of Mauldin and Five Oaks Academy.]
study says suicide rates are soaring
From CNN: "Suicide rates among young people have continued to soar in recent years, new research has found. The rate among 15- to 24-year-olds climbed in 2017 to its highest point since 2000. An increase was especially seen among 15- to 19-year-olds and young men."
Rader was one of those 15-year-old young men who died by suicide in 2017. There is so much more work to be done: more studies to help determine the reasons for the increase, and more effort toward education and prevention.
self care: do what you need
Mario Monday: new socks for Father's Day!
observing father's day not always happy
Much love to everyone this Father’s Day! It can be a hard day for a lot of folks. This is my husband’s first one without his dad and the third without Rader. He’s spending the day brewing beer with my sister and brother-in-law and some friends, and Mattie will be home later. We are making the best of it, as much as we can, as well as we know how.
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#FathersDay #dads #dad #family #grief #missingsomeone #ipa#smokyporter #beerbrew #brewingbeer #brewing
if you're struggling with your child's identity, get help
first scholarship winners announced!
This is such an exciting day! It’s one we have been working toward for two years, first with a GoFundMe and then the establishment of the Rader Ward Foundation as a nonprofit.
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Our scholarship committee, with the help of application software company FAST, has found two very deserving students who each will receive $3,000 to help with their 2019-2020 Montessori tuition.
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Our mission is to provide scholarship support for creative children in need who will benefit from an alternate educational philosophy, such as Montessori, as they lay the foundation for lifelong learning in elementary and middle school.
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We think Rader would be proud to give other kids the opportunity to discover their potential and develop their love of learning the way he did in his time at Montessori School of Mauldin, the happiest years of his life.
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observing Rader's 18th birthday
My head is weighty today on Rader’s 18th birthday. I’m so thankful for my “buttressers” who have sent thoughts and cards and text messages and have invited me to do things.
Posted @withrepost • @nathanwpylestrangeplanet b u t t r e s s
One goal I met today was to walk 18000 steps with my Fitbit in Rader’s memory. Here’s my post, with a close-up from the Mario memorial quilt made for me with so much love by my stepmom.
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#18thbirthday #youshouldstillbehere #love #grief #griefsupport #suicideprevention #nathanwpyle #nathanwpylestrangeplanet #strangeplanet #fitbit #18000steps #mario #luigi #quilt
tomorrow night: teen suicide prevention twitter chat!
make your own path
Mario Music Monday: tsuko g. brings the sunshine
loss forges unbreakable bonds
Grief crisis management via time with friends, part 2
Yesterday we were fortunate to spend the day with another family of dear longtime friends, the NikoLeaches. Kevan and Rader were Montessori classmates, and we had an opportunity to celebrate Kevan’s high school graduation.
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Here are Kevan and Rader, age 11, fishing during a 2013 family camping trip.
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#friends #classof2019 #fishing #camping #griefsupport #marioshirt
friends are to lean on
Yesterday was the second anniversary of Rader’s death. Anniversaries are difficult, not just days but seasons. Some of our closest friends, wanting to ease our pain however possible, invited us to spend this time together with them. We met our longtime friends the Chisholms at the Columbia Museum of Art to see an exhibit, Shades of Greene, by our college friend Sanford Greene. Then we went out to dinner, and afterward, to Sandy’s Famous Hot Dogs for ice cream. It also happened to be National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, and although it’s not usually my first choice flavor, it almost always was Rader’s (especially if he could get mini marshmallows on top). All of it made a bad day much better.
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Yesterday also was the first anniversary of the foundation website and social media accounts. I’m proud to have posted something that furthers our mission every day for the past year. “Like” the foundation on Facebook or visit “the latest” on our website if you want to see the resources, articles, and memories that don’t make it into the Instagram feed.
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#columbiamuseumofart #shadesofgreene #marvel #marvelcomics #blackpanther #bitterroot #comics #art #sanfordgreene #sandyshotdogs #sandysicecream
Check out Sanford’s work at Marvel, Image Comics, Instagram, and Twitter.