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This angel has attitude: After her son's death, a Sudbury mom started fighting for others

Liz Herd donates useful gifts and items to people in the community battling mental illness
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Josh Herd died of suicide on Nov. 27, 2015, two years after he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His mother Liz Herd has dedicated her free time to helping people in the community battling mental illness. Supplied photo

Last November, Liz Herd faced a parent's worst nightmare. Her son, Josh, died of suicide after years of living with bipolar disorder.

To help her deal with that loss, Herd has dedicated any free time she can muster (when she's not teaching kindergarten at Valley View Public School) to help others battling mental illness.

Many of the people she helps don't have the strong support network her son had.

“Now I think my job is to help those who don't have anybody,” Herd said. “There are a lot of people out there who are all alone. How can you get well when you're alone?” 

Josh Herd was 24 when he ended his life on Nov. 27, 2015.

People lined up for hours at his wake to pay their final respects to a young man who never had trouble making friends.

“I know every mother says their children are brilliant, but he really was brilliant,” Herd said. “He was an amazing artist, and up until the age of 20 there was nothing (no signs of his illness).”

Before his bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2013, Josh started to work on a movie called Anthem, and had managed to raise the funds he needed through sheer determination.

While he was making the movie his friend, Ryan, had a psychotic episode, which gave the Herd family its first introduction to the mental-health system.

Herd contacted the head of psychiatry at the Sudbury Mental Health and Addictions Centre and asked if she could bring the patients there some Christmas gifts.

Her husband had a T-shirt company, so they were able to supply everyone with hoodies and shirts.

When Josh made his way through the mental health system a couple years later, Herd continued to donate small items for patients at the mental health centre, and those who received outpatient care through the Acute Care Treatment Team.

The items include anything from clean socks to gift cards for coffee to toiletries. 

She has also continued to make gift baskets for patients during Christmas — and this year will provide 72 gift baskets for the patients at the Mental Health and Addictions Centre and another 135 for patients who get help from the Acute Care Treatment Team.

“We used to spend on Josh, so now this is where I want to spend my money and try to make some kind of a difference somewhere,” Herd said.

But most of the items she donates come from friends and her colleagues at Valley View Public School.

Because of her stubborn nature, Herd called her group Angels with Attitude.

“If you don't give me what I want I can be difficult,” she said. “Especially for something like this.”

When she asked her dentist if he could donate toothbrushes to her cause he initially declined, she said.

“I said, 'Oh, that's fine. I have full dental coverage so I'll be finding a new dentist.' ”

Herd said her dentist donated the toothbrushes after that.

She said she is always collecting items for those in need, and anyone who wants to help can contact her at [email protected]


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Jonathan Migneault

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