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The Portage Lake District Library invites everyone to watch “Do It for Daniel,” a documentary about Daniel Olson’s struggles with anxiety and depression which ultimately led him to take his life at age 19. This event will take place on Tuesday, February 20, at 6:00 p.m.
This film tells the incredible story of Daniel and his family and shows how the community of Ishpeming, Michigan, through the Hematite football team, rallied to restore hope for all who suffer from depression. Daniel was an all-state quarterback for the Ishpeming Hematites football team. He had a great family and great friends, and he also had a life-long battle with anxiety and depression.
Jeff Olson, Daniel’s father, will lead a discussion following the film. The Olson family’s mission is to tell their family story with the hope of removing the stigma of mental illness for people who struggle to come forward and seek help. The documentary was created to educate people about the impact depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses have on people and their families. They want to create a dialogue with the hope that through education, the stigma will be removed and people who suffer from these illnesses will feel less isolated and more willing to seek help.
Statistics show that one in four adults suffer from mental illness and one in four youth ages 13 – 18 experience mental disorders. Most will not seek help. Ninety percent of suicides are committed by people who suffer from some sort of mental illness. To decrease suicide, its sources need to be treated, which are commonly anxiety and depression. The Olson family wants to help people understand what it feels like to suffer from it and to give people hope that this can be treated.
It is also the Olson family’s wish that this film will show the power of love, strength, and determination. The Ishpeming community rallied behind a dark situation and banded together to overcome the odds. Together they created a feeling of hope that if we believe and work hard enough, anything is possible.
Library presentations are free and everyone is welcome. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570.
