MEET THE MAKERS
The three of us met while attending the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Jaclyn and Kim pursued careers in Nursing while Callie pursued a career in Engineering. Although our paths would eventually lead us to varying careers, cities, and countries, we remained connected through our passion for mental health advocacy and sharing our stories to educate others and preserve the memories of our siblings who we lost to chronic illnesses.
It has become our passion to empower others to share their stories and to get to know themselves on a deeper level. Becoming vulnerable with who we are and sharing our stories, allows us to experience personal growth, resilience, and explore how we want to live life right now, in this moment.
Through The Life is Worth Living Way, our for profit organization, we are excited to bring you programs, digital content, community, resources and more to teach you how to embrace living the life is worth living way.
Jaclyn Kennedy
Cofounder
Jaclyn is a daughter, a sister and a mother. She works as a Registered Nurse with Hematology patients. She is a mental health advocate. Jaclyn can be described in many ways, but what connects these roles she fulfills is her love for people; for human beings. Losing her older sister, Brianne, to suicide at a young age taught her about love and the power of human connection.
The years that followed Brianne’s death shaped her life. At only the age of 13, she was shown how precious life is and that every day should be lived with intention and with regard for tomorrow because not everyone has a tomorrow.
After Brianne died she spent a lot of time feeling angry and confused. She could not understand why Brianne took her life, especially when she must have known how difficult life would be without her. Through nursing and life experiences, Jaclyn came to realize that Brianne had fought to live a life worth living. Brianne had reached out numerous times and had sought treatment for her mental illness.
Jaclyn’s anger was coming from the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide and it was clouding her view on Brianne’s death in her younger years. This is what drives Jaclyn to spread suicide awareness. She hopes to help those who have lost someone to suicide and may be questioning why or share the clouded outlook she once had. It was not until she began working as a Registered Nurse that Jaclyn realized how intertwined our physical and mental health are. Instead of looking at mental health issues through the lens of stigma, she wants people to look at someone who has a mental illness and know they are fighting for their life.
The Life is Worth Living Way is a way for Jaclyn to show how she lives her life. Her life has been deeply rooted in loss and love. Through these experiences Jaclyn has learned how important it is to connect and voice how you are feeling. She hopes to teach others how to reach out and share their emotions, whether it be anger, fear, sadness, joy, or love. Our emotions can be shared. This is the human experience. This is the Life is Worth Living Way.
Callie Kennedy
Cofounder
Callie was born and raised in small town Saskatchewan where she found her love for community. She grew up surrounded by women and a father who helped raise four strong daughters. Callie knew from a young age, the importance of sisterhood, community and supporting each other. Looking back on her life, she always surrounded herself with inspirational people, so it is no surprise she has teamed up with Kim and Jaclyn.
The word suicide took on a whole new meaning for Callie at the age of 13, when she lost her older sister, Brianne, to suicide. Her family’s world fell apart, but once again she found herself surrounded by her friends, family, and community. Moments after losing Brianne, she remembers hearing the words, “Everything will be okay.” Her family received many words of encouragement, to try and ease their sadness and grief. At the time, it didn’t seem to matter how much empathy and compassion backed these words, they meant very little in the beginning. However, over time, she realized it wasn’t so much the words, but the presence of the people, sharing these words with her that would make a difference.
Callie attributes her courage and strength to being surrounded by family, friends, and community during difficult times. One thing she has learned from these supports was the importance of using her voice. Brianne left a mark on Callie, and losing her encouraged Callie to speak up about suicide and mental illness.
Callie shares her story about losing Brianne as well as her own struggles with mental illness openly. She does so in an effort to reduce the stigma that exists around mental illness and suicide. Callie believes that sharing our stories release us from our pain, and instead empower us. She does what she can to leave a positive imprint on this world because at the age of 13 she realized how precious life is. The most important thing she has done is worked to bring mental illness out of the shadows and she is an an example of the power and freedom you gain by owning who you are.
Kim Derkach
Cofounder
Kim raises her voice in an effort to shed light on the suffering we all experience to varying degrees, and to contribute to ending the stigma around mental health, mental illness and any form of disease while shedding light on how our mental, physical and emotional well-being contribute to our overall wellness.
Her journey through grief and loss began when her younger brother became ill with Juvenile Huntington’s Disease, and after eight years of bravely fighting this disease it claimed his life at the young age of 25.
Kim's journeys through deep sadness have ultimately shown her as much about light as they have about darkness. She believes that being allowed to tend to your grief, without feeling like you need to fix it, can at times make grief easier. Often, loss can be one of the hardest life experiences to digest and process. However, it is what ultimately transforms us in a positive way because we gain perspective. When we grieve the loss of a loved one, we come through the experience with more appreciation of every day we have with those we love.
Through both these personal challenges and her nursing experience, Kim became passionate about holistic health and sharing her story through mental health advocacy, grief empowerment, and holistic healing modalities. As a Registered Nurse, Kim believes that in order for true healing to occur one must consider all levels of healing; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. At times when one aspect is out of balance all areas may suffer.
From this integrated approach, she assists others to build self-compassion, resiliency and embrace their own story. Kim recognizes that every illness has a story, but that we also always have the opportunity to rewrite our story. Together we can support each other as we grow and heal. Community is powerful medicine
It is Kim’s goal to live her life as a more awakened, vibrant, alive human being, and to live each day with intention and gratitude so that those in her life who are here, and those who have passed, can experience love and joy through her eyes.
This is how she lives the life is worth living way. This is her Life in HD.