Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eddie Donnellan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Eddie, thanks for joining us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

I have worked in children’s mental health for over 25 years. The reality of doing the work that I have done, and continue to do, is that I have seen the best and the worst outcomes. This is honestly just part of life and how it works, but when you see incredible outcomes, especially the unexpected ones, it gives you the emotional and spiritual lift to keep at it. Life is so incredibly challenging for many of the youth that I work with, and the majority of the time it has nothing to do with any decisions that have made., rather it is a byproduct of the environment or communities that they live in.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Raised by his mother and exposed to the world through travel at a young age, Eddie Donnellan grew up with a deep awareness of how others lived—with less, yet often with more connection and gratitude. The ocean became his sanctuary during his teenage years, a place where he found both healing and purpose through surfing as he navigated life without a father figure.

In 1998, Eddie began his career in children’s mental health at Edgewood Center for Children and Families, dedicating 22 years to supporting youth and families impacted by trauma. His time there shaped his understanding of resilience, empathy, and the profound need for healing spaces beyond traditional therapy.

In 2015, Eddie founded the MeWater Foundation, a nonprofit that provides free surf therapy and outdoor experiences to children and families, offering the same transformative power of nature that shaped his own life. After more than two decades in the field, Eddie made the decision in 2021 to step away from his role as Director of Operations at Edgewood to dedicate himself fully to MeWater.

Today, through MeWater Foundation, Eddie continues to inspire others—showing that healing, joy, and community can be found in the simple, powerful connection between humans and the ocean

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

Well, good questions. When you have worked in children’s mental health for as long as I have, the word resilience has many faces so to speak. You have to be resilient in the face of all the trauma you see, as it is really important that you present as a “solid object” to the youth and families that you are serving. It is also incredibly important that you are able to remain resilient for your own mental health and well being. By this, I mean the ability to set boundaries for yourself, and this is a lot harder than it seems, and is only truly achieved unfortunately through trial and error, but without it, you will bottom out, burnout and the well will run dry.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Yes, absolutely. It sounds cliche, but with MeWater Foundation I have been able to combine my passions and turned them into my profession. Being able to be share the magic of Mother Nature is exactly where I belong. Maybe I would go back and have left my work in residential treatment earlier to focvus 100% on MeWater, but no complaints whatsoever in the big picture of things. I have a loving and beautiful wife and two incredible children. There is too much to be grateful for to have any regrets.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mewaterfoundation.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mewaterfoundation/
• Linkedin: Eddie Donnellan
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl4oE8aF6zkbVJfEILfVqEQ