Our Mission, Vision, and Strategy
By Lorie Coverdale, Mother of Kenny Moore
On August 23, 2013 the lives of many would be changed forever. This time it would be mine. I became the one…the mother that received the gut-wrenching unexpected knock on the door. Weak in my knees and sick to my stomach, I sat silently on the couch as my husband opened the door. The foggy silence and slow motion of life began to materialize in that instant. As two police officers and a victim crisis counselor entered my living room, my life as I knew it would come to a sudden and abrupt halt – time stood still. “Mrs. Coverdale”? Hi, I’m …..” I could not hear a word anyone was saying. The only words my brain would comprehend at that very moment were the words “dead” or “alive”. Reality and breathing do not exist in that earth shattering moment of hearing the unthinkable, the words that every family fears, “Mrs. Coverdale, we are sorry to tell you that your son, Kenny, is deceased”. I understood those words loud and clear; however, the next words totally rocked me to the core of my being...”I’m sorry to tell you that Kenny’s cause of death was suicide”…. (See Kenny’s Story for more)..
Shout...Shout...LET IT OUT
Without warning, we suddenly found ourselves tragically thrown into a wall of disparity. I dove in with all of my heart and soul to try to figure out why suicide? My Son? How can this be? The small amount of information that I have learned in these past years has given me the motivation and inspiration to establish a non-profit organization in Kenny’s name. Kenny’s life legacy needs to be one that continues to grow on a path that genuinely illustrates and exemplifies the extraordinary person Kenny became. This website is designed so supporters can help continue to share Kenny’s positive attitude and generous heart. We need to speak OUT LOUD about Kenny’s life and give support to those who are so desperately trying to emerge from the painful silence. Our purpose is to embrace and inspire courageous souls to talk about their life experiences with mental health and help educate them on the benefit of speaking out for help. Our goal is to reiterate mental illness should be recognized as a disease and not a flaw in character. Together, as one team, we can contribute to the rebirth of a new perception and perspective on mental health. The ancient old dark stigma that has been placed on mental health needs to be stopped. Often times many survivors feel unfairly victimized by this stigma. They feel that suicide is somehow shameful, or that they or their family are somehow to blame for this tragedy. The more I read, reach out for help, and attend support groups, the quicker I learn that this stigma still exists today. In today’s changing society, we need to embrace all facets of human life, especially those that have become lost, feeling hopeless, and helpless. My aspiration is for this foundation to rise to the challenge of abolishing the “shameful stigma” and help transform a more positive impact on the way society views mental illness. After losing Kenny to suicide, I, personally, could not fathom the thought of feeling family shame, nor feeling shameful of how my son died. My feelings are just the opposite, I want to reach out to the world and grab hold of anyone who will listen. Suicide does not and will not constitute my son’s character. He showed more humility, integrity and love for life in his short 22 years, than most people could ever show in their entire life. (See Kenny’s Story for more)..
Strategy
The foundation will hold fundraisers each year to raise money to support our Mission and Vision. 100% of the donated funds will go into our Non-Profit Organization. As funds are distributed, we will keep supports updated on the InformationTab. For questions regarding the Organization’s Financial Information, please send your questions/information to: Kennyg@KennyMooreFoundation.org
Most Interesting Information Researched
Did you know that Kenny suffered from Chiari Malformation? He had two surgeries on his brain stem, the first one when he was 14 years old; and the second when he was 18 years old. We want to inform others about Chiari and how it affects the brain stem as well as impact the make-up of brain chemistry. Recent studies show that there may be a link between Chiari and depression. (See tab 2 and 3 for more information regarding Chiari Malformation).
Thank You for Visiting the Kenny Moore Foundation Website
