Imagine yourselves in this uncontrollable circumstance: your mother, who you love SO much, is in the Hospital, near death, and to make matters worse, you have your own issues to face; for me, Danny Hooley, in October 2003, THAT was MY reality.

Growing up in my hometown of Statesboro, Georgia, an Hour Southeast of the Georgia coast, my life was odd, yet strangely normal, from the moment I was born on December 9, 1984.

At around age 3, I was diagnosed with severe Autism, which, for those who are unaware of it, is a Serious Brain Disease affecting 1 in 88 kids born in the U.S. alone, many of whom NEVER speak or even say their own names; thankfully, with LOTS of Individual Therapy during School hours in my youth combined with Medication, I not only talk, but also say my own name and, as a Hobby, Sing & Write my own Songs despite that I can BARELY play a little piano.

Despite my disease, and its grim prognosis, I remember doing as many regular kid things I possibly could growing up; at age 11, however, I was severely abused by a then-current lady teacher of mine who actually believed it was a GREAT idea to have a group of boys in my class hold my privates for me as I attempted to pee--a form of abuse I later learned was called Physical Restraintment, surprisingly legal in every U.S. State except Texas (and even MORE surprisingly Common amongst Children with Disorders e.g. in 2002, when 14-year-old Cedric Napolean was Physically Restrained to Death by his Teacher in Texas; though his death was ruled a Homicide, a Grand Jury REFUSED to Indict the Teacher on Murder/Manslaughter Charges).

But wait, theres more to my low self-esteem issues back then: the following year, as I began 7th grade, another female teacher ALWAYS got me into trouble at School EVERY DAY--9 out of 10 times for NO reason at all.

Those experiences, however, were tame compared to what I went through in May 2003, weeks shy of graduating high school, upon learning through the annual yearbook, with ZERO prior knowledge, of my then-crush both seeing (AND Premaritally Fornicating) someone else, who I should mention she has since married AND has an infant daughter with (AND another on the way, not that I cared anymore to know that upon learning both recently on Facebook).

As if THAT experience wasnt enough, like I stated earlier, my mother was admitted to the local Hospital on October 27, 2003--only to be transferred by ambulance 24 hours later, to the local Savannah hospital, where the residing Physician determined that her left foot below the knee was damaged beyond repair--and as a result, was forced to amputate the foot.

Eventually, I too wound up Hospitalized--in my case for Psychiatric problems in connection with both of these ongoing Stressors; however, less than 6 weeks later, just 24 hours after a Civil Court case involving me and my Crush that she filed against me, I attempted Suicide; HOW?! By hanging my right foot onto telephone wires at my Childhood home--escaping Physically Unharmed, thank God, but I accidentally broke the wires with my right foot.

3 days after my Attempted Suicide, less than 2 weeks after voluntarily deciding to seek help on the condition that if I wasnt satisified within a year, Id try something different, I began Group Therapy sessions at a local Day Treatment facility based in my hometown; however, when the year was up, I started growing restless, and I chose to enroll in college at the Roosevelt School in Columbus, Georgia founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Initially, I will be the first to admit I went to Roosevelt NOT to fall in love, but as an Escapism from the problems I was having back home; however, 3 weeks after I began my enrollment, I met and fell in love with this terrific young lady who helped me turn my life around completely for the better.

Unlike my hometown crush, my Roosevelt crush was ALWAYS there for me when I needed her most--especially when she didnt have to NOR did I deserve it at that point in my time, but I am SO glad she was there for me.

Upon my return home from Roosevelt, I went back to my old friends at the local Day Treatment facility in the hopes of informing them about how much I have Changed for the better while I was gone; within a year, I began to do volunteer work at the local Community Theater organization based in my hometown, which I still do 5 years later.

In May 2010, after MONTHS of being ridiculed by a fellow Mental Health patient, I had decided that ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH and chose to RUN AWAY from the Day Treatment facility by walking to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings DESPITE the fact Ive only had a FEW sips of Alcohol in my life.

The night before I could, however, I talked with my parents (who I live with, for the moment), and we as a family chose to end my Treatment at the facility altogether, for which I am VERY Grateful for.

Sometimes, I will admit though that it CAN and DOES hurt when Im ridiculed; Im sure many of you folks reading this may Ridicule me for everything Ive written so far (NOT the intent of this posting, for the record).

The intent of this entire posting is to HOPE that someone reading this who is in a Similar situation right now that I was in 10 years ago this time will read this and understand that there IS hope, there IS light at the end of the tunnel, and BEFORE you make a VERY Drastic decision such as killing yourself, think of those who DO care about you, who YOU will be leaving behind, who CARE about you, who LOVE you. THESE are the people worth LIVING for. LIFE is worth LIVING for, and to kill yourself or make ANY other Drastic decision would NOT ONLY be letting your problems win, BUT ALSO the other person at fault for your problems WIN your life and ALLOW you to kill yourself.

I know of many people with my Disease of Autism and related illnesses such as OCD (which I was diagnosed with myself at the age of 17) who have NO families they are close to, NOBODY to turn to in a Crisis, AND especially, NOBODY who cares and LOVES them who believes they are MEANT to be in a HOME somewhere for life; THAT, my friends, is the WRONG kind of attitude to have about the Mental Health population--a reason why I believe MANY in the Mental Health population with diagnoses such as Schizophrenia and related disorders NEGLECT their Physical Health, which leads to Physical illnesses such as Diabetes, Heart Attack, Stroke & Certain types of Cancer, ALL of which CAN be FATAL and LEAD to an EARLY Death AND Obituary.

What Im saying is here is BE GOOD to those you are around, because you NEVER Know what type of influence, good or bad, you will have. Thank you.