FROM THE BRANCHES
FROM THE BRANCHES
No Stabilizers is Stabilizing Lives
SUBMITTED BY GERHARD SAWATZKY FOR FRTA
Two years ago the autumn issue of news & views contained an article written by Foothills Retired Teachers ’ Association ( FRTA ) member Fran Porter about her newly-published book When the Ship Has No Stabilizers . The book chronicles the life of Fran ’ s daughter Colleen , who was severely afflicted with borderline personality disorder ( BPD ), a devastating mental illness that ultimately caused her to take her own life in June of 2010 . Just as importantly , it delves into advancements that offer help today for BPD that was unavailable in Colleen ’ s time .
Fran and husband Andy elected to donate proceeds from the book to McMan Youth , Family and Community Services in Calgary , an organization that made outstanding efforts to help their daughter . McMan works regularly with mentally-ill adolescents like Colleen who have run away from home ( or been thrown out ) and are on the streets because they can handle neither school nor workplace . McMan ’ s dream has been to hire an in-house clinician trained in dialectical behaviour therapy , an expensive but effective treatment for BPD , and to make that clinician available to its clients without cost . Fran and Andy have put every cent the book has raised into supporting that commendable dream . Following the book ’ s launch , it made the Calgary Herald local bestseller list several times .
Fran has spoken at numerous venues including the FRTA Health and Wellness Conference , the
Rotary circuit , libraries , churches , book clubs , Al-Anon meetings , the Calgary Teachers ’ Convention , the Calgary Optimist Club and various McMan functions . She and Andy have offered individual support and counsel to many parents and relatives going through the same hell they did .
Today , Fran and Andy can say , with a catch in their voices , that McMan ’ s dream has become reality ! Their daughter ’ s sad life has spawned something wonderful with proceeds so far , along with direct donations resulting from speaking engagements , totalling approximately $ 40,000 ! McMan ’ s street-kid clients are being professionally taught how to overcome destructive impulses that repeatedly derail their lives .
Fran and Andy have been nominated ‘ Philanthropic Family of the Year ’ as part of the ‘ Generosity of Spirit ’ awards sponsored by Alberta Fundraising Projects . They are honoured and humbled by the nomination . If it will somehow further the good work the clinic is presently doing , then that is good enough for them !
No Stabilizers is still available from Calgary booksellers and from Amazon , with all proceeds being used for support of sufferers of BPD .
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