Tough to find help for troubled teen

I can't even begin to express my gratitude for the article about youth mental health on the front page of The Starphoenix last Thursday.

We have been struggling with our 17-year-old for the last three and a half years. We have made 14 trips to the emergency room, four of which were suicide attempts.

The 13th time, I begged the doctor to admit my kid because I felt that, as a parent, I could not keep my child safe. I was denied, because there was no beds. I was also told that because we were our kid's support system, he would never be admitted to the Dube Centre as there just were not enough beds.

So my husband ended up taking a month off work and I ended up taking six weeks off work. I was so burnt out, I was at my lowest I had ever been.

But I needed to be strong for our kid.

He is bipolar and transgender, but the lack of assistance we had once we left the emergency room left a huge void. It took lots of effort and perseverance to find a counsellor that could connect with our child. Living in rural Saskatchewan poses a greater challenge yet, as the resources are even more slim.

Please keep shining a light on this issue. It has been so frustrating as a parent to feel like we are alone and no one seems to care.

Kariann Evenson, Viscount