Founder's Story

Without my community, I don’t believe I would be here, writing this as the founding member of Ignited Minds Foundation. It has been about six years since a campfire explosion turned my life upside down and left me with burns covering sixty percent of my body. Since then, I’ve learned quite a bit about adversity and resilience. Many times, I thought I finally had my feet under me, only to realize that was far from the reality of my situation. From the highs of being discharged early from the Foothills Medical Center due to a speedy recovery or committing to play USport hockey just one year post-accident, to the lows that come with battling mania and depression, the last six years of my life have been quite the rollercoaster.

My experiences over these years have reshaped my understanding of what it means to have good mental health. It’s a process—and usually a long one. For me, it began with finding a therapist who truly understood me, someone I could trust. After trying three different psychologists with minimal results and a waning belief that that person was out there for me, I finally found one who changed my life. It started with education. An objective understanding of my situation: what had happened to me, how it affected my brain and nervous system, and how it had impacted many of my friends and family—not just me. I learned how to grieve, how to identify negative habits, and how to build positive ones. Most importantly, I gained an understanding of how trauma affects the body. I learned how to embrace uncomfortable feelings and grow from them, and, above all, I learned how to heal. None of this would have been possible without my therapist, Jenn, and the support systems in my community.

I had extensive physical injuries and visible scars from the burns I sustained, but it was the invisible scars that posed the biggest challenge throughout my recovery. The mental aspect of healing can be hard to navigate and is also very expensive—two of my main motivations for founding Ignited Minds Foundation. The trauma I endured, coupled with the therapy I pursued, allowed me to appreciate a few essential things: I had a privileged life with plenty of support from my family, friends, and peers—a support network that only grew stronger when my life was flipped upside down in June 2018. I understand that I went through a traumatic experience, one that many people, unfortunately, also endure. I know that, despite all the love from my family and support systems, I became suicidal for a period of time. And I know that many people facing traumatic adversity do not have access to the support systems or resources I had. I want to change that.

The Ignited Minds Foundation exists to enhance young people’s knowledge of what therapy services can offer by speaking candidly about mental illness, the hardships it brings, and how therapy can help us face these challenges head-on. We aim to educate others about trauma, how it affects the body, and the healing journey by bringing professional resources into our community. And finally, we strive to provide financial support for our youth, removing a common barrier for many who seek mental health assistance. Through various fundraising activities, the foundation aims to subsidize therapy for youth who have experienced trauma and cannot afford it. Charity is community, and I believe in mine.

– Ryan Vandervlis