Gabe's 17th Birthday

Gabe's 17th Birthday for Youth Mental Health
Gabriel’s Light

About the Cause

Gabriel's Light was founded by Carol and Brendan Deely in 2019, a year after losing their 12-year-old son to suicide. Inspired by their son Gabriel's life, and compelled by their loss, they hope that others may learn and grow from their tragedy. 

We forward our mission to prevent youth suicide through outreach, programs, and funding related to each of our three pillars: Education, Cyber Safety, and Kindness Campaigns. In addition, we maximize our efforts by partnering with a select few likeminded organizations and provide resources to parents, educators, and kids to inspire life-saving action.


The support of last year's generous donors enabled us to hire two Educators to offer teen Mental Health First Aid programs this past year. They have trained many teens in the Chicagoland area, and we have heard several stories of these teens certified in tMHFA being able to actively help peers amidst a mental health crisis. Thanks to your support, our efforts to equip teens to help themselves and others are working.

As Gabriel's Light continues to expand, our growing team and the increasing demand for our services require additional funding to further our mission.

In honor of Gabe's 17th birthday, we are asking for your support to advance our mission and be able to visit additional schools this upcoming 2023-2024 school year. It remains a priority for us to ensure that underserved schools receive the mental health support they need. This school year, we aim to go into more under-resourced schools that primarily serve minority students.

Our teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training continues to be in high demand and our plan is to utilize donations received this year to expand this program offering to reach more underserved schools. tMHFA connects kids with life-saving mental health education. This grassroots outreach provides an immediate and powerful impact!

Why teen Mental Health First Aid?

  • 50% of adolescents ages 13-18 live with a mental disorder.  Source: National Institute of Mental Health

  • 50% of all mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75% by the mid-20s. Source: Archives of General Psychiatry

  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth age 15-19. Source: National Center for Health Statistics

We know that teens are mostly like to exhibit warning signs of depression and suicide to their peers. Additionally, we know that treatment for those who seek help is very successful. Teen education is a critical to preventing youth suicide!

Read more about the teen Mental Health First Aid program here!