JACKSONVILLE, Fla — A Jacksonville non-profit is working to break the stigma of mental health and on Saturday they unveiled a mural on the Bank of America wall in San Marco.
The mural is honoring one local mom who lost her son to a mental illness.
“We miss him, we wish he were here,” said Sheryl Johnson, founder of Hearts 4 Minds.
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Sheryl Johnson lost her son Alex in 2017.
“Alex started having struggles with depression and anxiety early on in high school,” said Sheryl.
After he went off to college, his mother said he passed away from a mental illness.
“We felt lost, " said Sheryl.
That’s when Sheryl started Hearts 4 Minds, a non-profit dedicated to spreading mental health awareness and sharing resources to those struggling with mental illness.
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They do so through murals.
“It’s nice to brighten up the area but it’s not about the mural, it’s about the person taking the photo,” said artist David Nackashi. “It’s layers and layers of whites and yellows and just to build it up, so it does look like light.”
This is the 11th mural Hearts 4 Minds has created in Jacksonville and all of them have a dragonfly. It is a symbol of courage, strength, and change.
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“This one is incredible, and it’s called be the focus,” said Sheryl.
Sheryl wants to share a message to other parents who are going through something similar.
“You don’t have to do it alone and there is nothing to be embarrassed about and mental illness can happen to anyone,” said Sheryl. “Make sure you are paying attention and getting the help the same way you do when you recognize physical health symptoms.”
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