Recently, the JCK Foundation visited Oratory to talk about mental health. The two speakers, John Tessitore and Kevin McMahon, told us about their own experiences facing OCD and depression, how it affected them throughout their lives, and their journey to overcome it. They told us the tragic story of their friend, John Kelly, and how he tragically died from suicide in his fight against OCD, and the virtuous life he led. John had spent his life listening to others and trying to help them in any way he could. The entire foundation was made and named after him in his honor, and they continue to visit many schools each year to tell his story. John Tessitore mentioned how he first found out about his OCD, how much it hurt him, and how John Kelly was there to help him go through it. He described how his mental state slowly went down to the point where he went from a good student to constantly getting in trouble in school while desperately trying to fit in with their classmates. Kevin McMahon talked about many difficulties he faced with his depression, such as being hit by it suddenly even after it seemed ok for a while, demonstrating how hard these issues were to overcome and the long fight against them. In all these experiences, they emphasized the importance of seeking help and finding ways to deal with these problems. They gave students a chance to express their own thoughts without everybody else knowing to make them feel more comfortable. Finally, they concluded by expressing how proud they were that everyone was pushing through their struggles and the efforts they put in to improve their health.
In a workshop held for each grade in the days following the assembly, students were grouped together and asked to come up with answers to several questions relating to methods of dealing with mental health issues. Everyone was very insightful and came up with great answers that the speakers praised. They were glad that all the students could come up with so many good ideas and also told them to message them if they needed any help as they would be available. The JCK Foundation’s visit gave the students valuable knowledge of the dangers of mental problems and the steps they should take against them and everyone will certainly remember their impact.
