I came in one night not wanting to be alive.

For me, I do not tell my past to people I do not know, and it takes a while for me to build that trust with someone. But Mary Jo immediately made me feel safe, heard, and seen. It was incredibly easy for me to tell her about my childhood, or lack thereof, and how it was still affecting me even after moving to an entirely new state.

Never have I ever felt so cheered for by someone who did not even know me. Never have I felt so supported and genuinely cared about by medical personnel. Even in that moment of still not wanting to be alive, Mary Jo offered me so much comfort.

She was so genuinely proud of me for my accomplishments in life and the goals that I am close to reaching in the next few years. She knew these accomplishments and goals because she asked. Mary Jo asked about the positives in my life, instead of focusing only on the negatives. She took the time to know me, not just my mental state.

She took time with me so much so that it felt to me like I was her only patient, her only priority. Though I have only met her once, I will never forget Mary Jo, because today I am alive and, on that night, I was still alive.

Mary Jo works in a profession where she knows she may only see me once, but she cares so deeply, as if I were her own daughter.