Landmark buildings Light Up Purple for mental health and Amanda Todd
Posted October 10, 2017 5:42 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Today is World Mental Health Day, and it also marks five years since 15-year-old Amanda Todd of Port Coquitlam took her own life, sparking an international conversation about cyber-bullying and mental health.
Civic buildings across the country will be lit up in purple over the next week as a way to remind people about Todd’s case and the ongoing challenges it represents. Purple was Amanda Todd’s favourite colour.
She was the victim of a cyber bullying campaign. A YouTube video chronicling her ordeal gained worldwide attention.
Since her daughter’s death, Carol Todd has become a powerful voice for people experiencing depression and a steward for her daughter’s legacy.
“I mean it’s been five years, and yes, we are still talking about her in various aspects. If she only knew, the voice that she had, the power that she’s having out there.”
She says there is still a lot of work to be done on mental health, including opening more public facilities for people who are struggling.
“I get messages and emails all the time from people struggling and asking what they can do. And sometimes, I’m at a loss when they say to me that it’s a six-month wait and I don’t know what to say or how to help them anymore.”
