As a deeply concerned parent living in the Manitoba province, I have witnessed first-hand the tragic shortcomings of our current mental healthcare system in handling cases of severe mental health concerns among our children. My 14-year-old son Reese, who has suffered through nine suicide attempts, has time and again been sent home from the hospital with no adequate support or infrastructure to assist us in ensuring his safety and wellbeing. I fear that due to our restrictive postal code living rule Manitoba and the inadequate services of Interlake Services, our pleas are not taken seriously enough.

The situation my family faces isn't unique. Many others are being detrimentally impacted by the lack of full-time 24/7 monitored facilities for children grappling with severe mental health issues in this area. Lives are hanging in the balance.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, as many as 20% of Canada's youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder, and suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24-year-olds. The current system is insufficient, leading us to fear that our children’s very lives are at risk and their futures, bleak.

Many children have died in vain and many more will if nothing is done. A child in your life could be suffering the exact same fate. Be the voice that can make this change and save many young lives. 

This petition calls upon the Manitoba province to change its approach to handling childhood mental health crises, ensuring that more rigorous support and care systems are put in place, suicide attempts are given the gravitas they deserve, and that families are granted more support to guide their children towards a promising future. This change is urgent, crucial, and a matter of life and death. Please sign this petition and help us usher in necessary reform in the Manitoba province, ensuring that no more children and families go through the harrowing ordeal my son and our family have.