Meet Carter Andre-Van Lith. When a severe softball injury abruptly shifted her identity as a top-performing athlete, Carter found herself in the depths of loneliness and isolation.

At her darkest point, she found herself unrecognizable, overwhelmed by the changes in her life and struggling mentally. During her recovery, Carter began the process of rediscovery as she worked to rebuild her sense of self and find purpose. She’s learned that everyone’s story is unique and different, but that doesn’t stop us from having empathy and becoming the type of human we want to be.

This is her story.

Access Resources:

Free Digital Wellness Videos & Antibullying Resources from ReThink Citizens: Carter experienced some bullying while she was recovering and she shared that she wished her classmates understood that the joke they had was negative impacting her mental health and well-being. This video series created by ReThink Citizens help students to rethink cyberbullying and respond with resilience and confidence to online hate.

Suicide, Depression, & Anxiety: Carter’s story also mentions her battle with mental health. If you or a loved one are struggling with a mental health challenge (suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety) visit these resources from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

For the Suicide & Crisis Mental Health Help Hotline: DIAL 988. If you or someone you know is in crisis—whether they are considering suicide or not—please call to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7.

Learn about Suicide Prevention: Interested in learning more about suicide prevention? Consider taking a Q(question)P(persuade)R(respsonse) training course through the QPR Institute.