By KATHLEEN CLARK

Tom Brydon smiles fondly as he recalls the time his daughter Kate phoned to say she was going to be late getting home for Thanksgiving dinner.  Kate was a junior at James Madison University, set to fly back for the holiday, when she noticed a young woman sitting alone and crying in the terminal.  When Kate approached, the young woman explained that she was on stand-by and needed to be on the flight to make her connection to London, where her family was waiting for her.  “Kate gave up her seat so the young woman could make her flight to England,” Tom recalls.  “That’s just who Kate was—totally kind and empathetic.”

Sadly, Kate also lived with severe mental illness, having received a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia when she was 19 years old.  Tom looks back at the period when he and his wife Sylvia struggled to comprehend the news.  “Having teenagers, there’s so much to worry about.  You worry about alcohol, driving, pregnancy.  We thought we were through the hard stuff.  Then, wham, it’s like getting hit with a baseball bat in the back of the head.”  

Following the diagnosis, Kate and her parents began searching for treatment, working with doctors to identify medication, therapy, and a self-care routine to enable Kate to move forward with her life.  Eventually, she was able to return to school, becoming a certified medical assistant and pursuing a career  helping individuals living with clinical depression. She made her home in Florida, where she loved the beaches and sunny weather, and in 2023, she took a celebratory trip to Israel with her parents, where Kate surprised the local guides with her extensive knowledge of history and the Bible. 

It was on the way home from Israel that Kate confided in her parents about the difficult side-effects she was experiencing.  She felt her medicines made her foggy and that it was difficult for her to keep up at work the way she wanted to.  Once back in Florida, Kate made the decision to stop taking her medication.  Unfortunately, the most challenging symptoms of her disease came roaring back, and Kate died by suicide in February of 2024.  She was 31 years old. 

Turning Grief into Hope

Amid profound grief, Tom and Sylvia contemplated how they might turn their family’s pain into a positive legacy for Kate’s life–something that would help individuals and families impacted by mental illness.  “We knew that was what Kate would have wanted,” says Tom. “She had so much compassion for people who were sad or struggling.”

Along with their son Drew and daughter-in-law Maggie, Tom and Sylvia decided to address the need for better access to mental healthcare, something they understood all too well due to the challenges they experienced when first seeking a diagnosis and treatment for Kate.  Desperate to get answers for the changes they were seeing in their once-healthy daughter, the Brydons sought help from 3 different psychiatrists and received multiple misdiagnoses before Kate’s illness was finally identified by doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Only then could they begin exploring treatment options for Kate, which took several more years with numerous twists and turns along the way.  

Sadly, the Brydons’ experience is like that of other families.  Due to a variety of challenges, including stigma, finances, and inadequate numbers of providers, over half of all individuals with a mental health condition in the U.S. never receive treatment.  Those who do seek treatment face a fragmented and confusing system that is notoriously difficult to navigate.  As a result, the average time between the first symptoms and acquiring treatment for a mental health condition in the U.S. is an astonishing 11 years.  

Finding A Proven Model

Believing there had to be a better way, Tom connected with his good friends Rob Berton and Mike Caine.  Together, they scoured the country for a navigator system with a proven record of connecting individuals and families with mental health services.  Eventually, they discovered Here For Texas, a mental health navigation model developed by the Grant Haliburton Foundation with a proven track record of improving access to mental health care in Dallas.

Intrigued by their success, Tom reached out to the Grant Haliburton Foundation.  As luck would have it, they were looking for a city to replicate their model.  The stars continued to align when Tom and his friends met Kate Weaver, Executive Director of NAMI Charlotte. Quickly grasping the potential, NAMI Charlotte’s leadership agreed to partner with the Brydons to bring a proven model of mental health navigation to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region.

Launching the NAMI Navigator 

On June 2, the NAMI Navigator Charlotte officially launched with the tagline Kate’s Grace: Finding Light in the Darkness.  In yet another sign that the Brydon family had made the right choice for how to honor Kate’s memory, the date of the launch—chosen separately by NAMI Charlotte—just happened to be Kate’s birthday.  

Indeed, the NAMI Navigator is a worthy legacy for a young woman whose first instinct was to help others in need.  “It truly is a game changer,” notes Tom.  Area residents now have a tool to help them navigate the complexities of mental health care.  By providing trustworthy and confidential guidance, the NAMI Navigator connects individuals to the resources and support systems they need to thrive, offering comprehensive referrals, educational materials, and self-help strategies.  Individuals and families can utilize the NAMI Navigator website, gain one-to-one guidance from trained NAMI volunteers, and even seek navigation support in person at the NAMI Charlotte Resource Center.  In partnering with NAMI Charlotte to establish the NAMI Navigator, the Brydons have delivered a fitting tribute to Kate, and an invaluable gift to individuals and families seeking light in the darkness. 

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Find a therapist, psychiatrist, treatment center, support group, or other resources that meet your needs.

• Access the NAMI Navigator CLT Website—https://www.naminavigatorcharlotte.org/

Get help seeking resources for yourself or someone else.

• Call the NAMI Navigator CLT Help Line—704-705-7004, Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, seek help immediately.  

• Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline