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BELLEVILLE, IL (KTVI - FOX2now.com) -
A Hollywood star and an Illinois family hook up for a simple, but powerful message: it's "ok" to talk about mental illness. Actress Glenn Close has just partnered with the Belleville-based, Karla Smith Foundation to spread the word. "1 in 6 adults faces mental illness," Close says in a public service announcement (PSA) for the "Bring Change 2 Mind" campaign now running on television.
"And we face a stigma that can be as painful as the disease itself," says Close's sister, Jessie, who has bipolar disorder.
The PSA features people suffering from mental illnesses in t- shirts with the name of their illness emblazoned on front, walking alongside a family member or loved one in a busy train station.
The PSA could very well included Karla Smith and her twin brother, Kevin.
"We did everything together," Kevin Smith said from his Fairview Heights home, Sunday. "We went to the same grade school, went to the same high school. It was always Karla and Kevin."
Until Karla, who also suffered from bipolar disorder, took her own life in 2003. She was 26.
"The same stigma we're now trying to erase, we felt," said her father, Tom.
"I wish I would have known as much about bipolar disorder when our daughter was going through it," said her mother, Fran.
Just as Close's "Bring Change 2 Mind" campaign is now trying to end the stigma of mental illness, Smith's family embarked on the same mission shortly after her death.
"Because we were open about our story, it made it ok for people to be open about their story as well," Kevin Smith said. "People finally had a place and a face with mental illness."
And now, with Glenn Close, a national voice.
"Change a mind about mental illness and you can change a life," Close says in the PSA.
When Smith's family reached out to Close for help with a Karla Smith Foundation, Close began a "partnership" with them.
The "Bring Change 2 Mind" campaign is generating much more response than it can handle alone, that's where the Karla Smith Foundation comes in.
"What's happened is, a lot of those replies are now being done, by the Karla Smith Foundation, on behalf of 'Bring Change 2 Mind'", said Kevin Smith.
The foundation steers people to resources such as support groups, books like those Karla's dad has written,and a message as plain as a
t-shirt in a train station.
"The way those t-shirts kind of fade-in and they walk and you're just a regular person (in the PSA), what a perfect message," Kevin Smith said.
"How brave these people are to stand in Grand Central Station and wear these shirts and expose themselves to a national audience for the sake of helping thousands," said Kevin's wife, Emily, who was also one of Karla's best friends.
"I think that we are guided by her watchful eye through this," Kevin said.
Along with a twin, brother-sister, bond even death couldn't break.
The PSA features people suffering from mental illnesses in t- shirts with the name of their illness emblazoned on front, walking alongside a family member or loved one in a busy train station.
The PSA could very well included Karla Smith and her twin brother, Kevin.
"We did everything together," Kevin Smith said from his Fairview Heights home, Sunday. "We went to the same grade school, went to the same high school. It was always Karla and Kevin."
Until Karla, who also suffered from bipolar disorder, took her own life in 2003. She was 26.
"The same stigma we're now trying to erase, we felt," said her father, Tom.
"I wish I would have known as much about bipolar disorder when our daughter was going through it," said her mother, Fran.
Just as Close's "Bring Change 2 Mind" campaign is now trying to end the stigma of mental illness, Smith's family embarked on the same mission shortly after her death.
"Because we were open about our story, it made it ok for people to be open about their story as well," Kevin Smith said. "People finally had a place and a face with mental illness."
And now, with Glenn Close, a national voice.
"Change a mind about mental illness and you can change a life," Close says in the PSA.
When Smith's family reached out to Close for help with a Karla Smith Foundation, Close began a "partnership" with them.
The "Bring Change 2 Mind" campaign is generating much more response than it can handle alone, that's where the Karla Smith Foundation comes in.
"What's happened is, a lot of those replies are now being done, by the Karla Smith Foundation, on behalf of 'Bring Change 2 Mind'", said Kevin Smith.
The foundation steers people to resources such as support groups, books like those Karla's dad has written,and a message as plain as a
t-shirt in a train station.
"The way those t-shirts kind of fade-in and they walk and you're just a regular person (in the PSA), what a perfect message," Kevin Smith said.
"How brave these people are to stand in Grand Central Station and wear these shirts and expose themselves to a national audience for the sake of helping thousands," said Kevin's wife, Emily, who was also one of Karla's best friends.
"I think that we are guided by her watchful eye through this," Kevin said.
Along with a twin, brother-sister, bond even death couldn't break.
