We recently connected with Antwanette Weaver and have shared our conversation below.

Antwanette, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

Although I was already working as a mental health therapist, losing my son Kameron to suicide on July 13, 2020, and my subsequent grief journey changed the trajectory of my career. Working as a therapist was something I could not wrap my head around after my son’s death. I didn’t think I was capable of helping others to improve their mental health, when I couldn’t provide enough support to my son to save his life. Feelings of shame overcame me, and I felt inadequate and unable to function in that role. Although returning to my job as a therapist didn’t feel like a feasible option for me, I needed to do something to bring awareness to suicide. I needed to find a way to actively work to prevent others from experiencing the pain my family is living through. So, on November 16, 2022, I founded A Bold Story Never Ends, a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

The mission of A Bold Story Never Ends is to honor Kameron’s story by working to save lives through education and awareness while providing support, hope and opportunities to those impacted by mental health related issues. We work collaboratively with mental health providers and community organizations to provide needed services to support at risk individuals within our community. Our goals are to reduce stigma, increase education, and provide support to improve the quality of life of those living with mental health disorders.

As I look back over the past year since our incorpuration, I’m extremely proud of what we have accomplished thus far. We have already created and funded academic scholarships to assist graduating seniors who have overcome mental health challenges, or other obstacles, and wish to pursue higher education. We recently hosted a suicide awareness event, Together, We Are Stronger Family Fun Day, and had over 150 inidividuals to come out to learn more about ways they can incorporate various wellness practices into their lives to improve their mental health, while also learning the signs of suicide ideation and how to support those who may being struggling. We have been able to establish several collaborations, providing the opportunity to educate and bring awareness through presentations. Additionally, we are working to secure funding to provide financial support to individuals who lack the resources needed to obtain therapy services on their own.

We’ve accomplished a great deal in this short time, and I believe this is only a small fraction of what we will acheive moving forward, I look forward to forming even more collaborations and providing a greater variety of resources to our community.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ve quickly realized that securing the funding necessary to fuel our initiatives is not an easy feat. There have been several times over the past year that I’ve thought of giving up. There have been numerous moments where I’ve gotten frustrated because we have not received the support I thought would easily come, but then comes along a donor, supporter, or volunteer that provides an immediate need and reassures me that it will all work out in its own timing. I’m reminded the road won’t be easy, but the cause is more than worth it and if I continue to pour into my purpose, lives will be saved and hope will be restored. Therefore, I will embrace the obstacles and celebrate the wins.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Yes, if I could go back. I would still choose to be a mental health professional. I believe it is my divine purpose to help others to find mental wellness and to improve their quality of life. This was not my childhood dream, but it is something I truly love and will dedicate the rest of my life to. It’s not always easy and at times it becames mentally exhausting, but each time someone shares how my work has improved their lives or how my story has given them the strength to fight through another day, it fuels be to keep pushing forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aboldstoryneverends.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aboldstoryneverends
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boldstoryneverends
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antwanette-weaver-64b84a285/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/aboldstory
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aboldstoryneverends

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