Courage to Come Back Awards 2001
The Courage to Come Back
(CTCB) is an annual public awareness and fundraising campaign that celebrates the
remarkable achievements of courageous individuals from across the province who serve
as models of hope for us all. The goal of the Courage to Come Back campaign is to
increase community awareness, raise funds, and honour individuals who have helped
reduce the stigma that surrounds addiction and mental illness.
Historically, Courage has honoured those who have overcome a serious physical
or mental illness, injury or addiction. However, in 2001 the Foundation refined its
focus to recipients who have shown the greatest courage in overcoming the challenges
of living with addiction and/or mental illness, and have chosen to use their experiences
to contribute to the community. This change was made in order to align the event
more closely with the focus of the Foundation's mission and continue to build on
the work we and the Centre are doing to create better public understanding and acceptance
of mental illness and addiction in our society.
The Courage public awareness campaign, aimed at stigma reduction, takes place
over several months, and draws more and more nominations each year from across Ontario.
It culminates in May with a gala dinner where the recipients are presented with their
Courage to Come Back Awards.
Our heartfelt thanks to all of our sponsors and everyone who attended the event
for making the Courage to Come Back Awards Dinner one of the most sought-out and
well-attended fundraising events in Toronto. For the second year in a row, you have
helped make this a sold-out event. Your support and generosity is most appreciated.
A very special thank you to our inaugural Presenting Sponsor, RBC Investments, who
will continue as Presenting Sponsor for the coming year.
Finally, thank you to all of the nominees and award recipients for sharing their
inspirational stories with us -- without them there would be no Courage. By allowing
us to publicly acknowledge their courage, they reduce misconceptions and stigma surrounding
these issues. They teach us that people with addiction and mental illness are just
like you and me -- they come from all walks of life, all cultures, all backgrounds
and all economic states -- and they teach us that there is hope.
Pictures
and more profiles from the
Courage to Come Back 2001 Awards.
Just
One of the Stories of Courage
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Melissa Gibson
2001 Award Recipient
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Because Melissa
struggled with both addiction and mental health issues simultaneously, she fell through
the cracks of the system. Although she actively sought treatment for her problems
-- which included disorders of mood, anxiety dissociation, personality disruptions,
post traumatic stress disorder, and substance dependence from the early age of 9
-- she was bounced from system to system.
Often she was told she could not be treated for her mental health issues until she
completely stopped using drugs -- in her mind her only coping mechanism -- or for
her addiction issues unless she had a psychiatrist.
Due to her strength of will, Melissa stopped using marijuana so that she could
engage in treatment for her psychiatric problems. She began to reevaluate her lifestyle
choices and committed herself to following her dreams rather than her nightmares.
In accordance with her goal to be a healer, Melissa has become an advocate for
mental health and addiction issues. She showed amazing courage by seeking help for
severe mental health and addiction issues despite the system failing her multiple
times. She is now fulfilling her dreams as a person by enlightening society about
how to help youth with concurrent disorders and providing alternate healing in the
community.
Fortunately, the combined expertise of the Centre's founding partners has enabled
individuals suffering from both addiction and mental health problems to find the
help they need without barriers.
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(416) 979-6909 
