The Day I Realized Love Could Not Save My Child

When a Parent Starts to See the Signs

Maddie was back at North York General. Seventh Floor North. Her second suicide attempt.
This time she stayed almost two months.

Most days she was still Maddie.
Sharp. Funny. Playful.
We joked. We played games. She won every time.
But a small part of her was slipping.
Not every day.
But often enough that I felt it.

Then there were moments when everything changed.
Her eyes would go quiet.
Her face would empty.
It was like she had stepped out of herself.

That is when I learned a truth no parent wants to say out loud.
Love is not always enough.

The Moment That Changed Everything

One afternoon she sat on her hospital bed without saying a word.
Then she said it.

“I do not want to be a burden anymore. I just want to die.”

I held her tight.
I sobbed harder than I ever have.
I wanted my love to fix everything.
But it does not work like that.

You can show up every day.
You can say all the right things.
You can love your child with your entire heart.
And they can still feel lost.
They can still want to leave.

That moment broke something in me.
Because I understood that love alone could not save her.

The Reality Parents Are Never Prepared For

No one warns you about the parts of parenting where you feel powerless.
No one tells you what to do when the child you adore starts slipping away.
No one teaches you how to sit with fear like that.

Teens who are hurting do not always respond to love in the way we expect.
They need safety.
They need connection.
They need someone who listens without pressure.
Sometimes they need someone who is not a parent.

Why The MentorWell Exists

This truth is why we built The MentorWell.

When therapy feels too clinical.
When parenting feels too heavy.
When your teen cannot hear reassurance from you anymore.
They need another caring adult in their corner.

Someone steady.
Someone calm.
Someone who is not trying to repair them.
Someone who says,
“You matter. You are not too much. You are allowed to struggle.”

Mentorship is not a cure.
But it can keep a teen connected when they feel alone.
It can give them space to breathe.
It can help them hold on.

Maddie never had that support.
I wish she had.
I wish I had understood what she needed earlier.

What Parents Should Know Today

If you are worried about your teen.
If something feels off.
If your gut is telling you to pay attention.
Do not wait for a crisis.

Check in.
Ask the harder questions.
And consider bringing another trusted adult into their life.

The MentorWell is here to help you explore what real support looks like.
You do not have to navigate this alone.