public attention on severe depression
and the devastating impact it can have
on people of all ages. Even his family and
close friends seemed unaware that this
much � loved comedian was bearing
such intense emotional pain that he felt
compelled to end his life. His death re-
minds us that the stigma of mental ill-
ness can still keep people from seeking
help when they need it most. Depression
is a serious illness, but with medication
and/or therapy it can be effectively
treated. Here professional counselor
Wilma Bradshaw relates how God re-
deemed her own pain so she could help
teenage girls in The Salvation Army cope
with their struggles.