MANITOULIN—Dr. Alexandra DiGiacomo was feeling just a little “foolish” when The Expositor caught up with her between Ottawa and Montreal as she continued a cross-country cycling tour to raise awareness for children’s mental health. “It’s 40 degrees and there is a headwind,” said Dr. DiGiacomo, but the remarkable young medical professional remained undeterred. She had crossed the breadth of Manitoulin and boarded the Chi-Cheemaun ferry just a few days earlier.
We cited “awareness,” but Dr. DiGiacomo is more interested in another, and more important word: “access.” Most caregivers seeking aid and services for their children are only too aware of the challenges that face them and their child.
“I want to create awareness to get access to mental health care for kids,” she said above the roar of traffic and those aforementioned headwinds. Dr. DiGiacomo was giving the interview, as she has so many others, while continuing her cycling odyssey. “It seems to me that (those challenges to obtain mental health services) has become normalized. People expect it too be hard. It’s really not okay.”
“In Canada, three in four children can’t get mental health care when they need it,” said Canadian Mental Health Association CEO Margaret Eaton. “It is either unavailable or isn’t covered by public health insurance. Our kids are in crisis and parents have nowhere to turn.”
Dr. DiGiacomo is on day 35 of her 45-day cycling challenge—sights set on Halifax and the end of this part of her journey. And it is very much a challenge. “Three-and-a-half months ago I didn’t even own a bike,” she laughed. “I never saw myself as an athlete.” Nonetheless, she closed the door on her medical practice and set out from Vancouver on July 22.
There are some 1.2 million young people in this country affected by mental health struggles and the Canadian Mental Health Association estimates that 75 percent of affected children do not have access to proper psychological care.
Originally from Toronto, Dr. DiGiacomo landed in British Columbia 20 years ago. As a registered clinical psychologist in Vancouver, she knows mental health challenges. She describes her frustration at the plight of those children that led her to tackle the cross-country cycling challenge.
In many instances, there are treatments that are proven and effective, but most children do not have access to those treatments and even where the treatments could be accessed, parents remain unaware of the existence of those treatments. That is the first leg of the Break the Cycle Campaign.
Second is raising funds to support those charities in each province that directly support youth mental health. So far, she has raised $29,000 of her $50,000 goal. “At the end I will split that money with the charities across the country,” she said.
It may be a drop in the bucket compared to the need, but the third leg, that of increasing knowledge of the immense wait times is ongoing. Dr. DiGiacomo is freely sharing information on strategies that can assist caregivers while they are waiting in the queue. “Simply having access to good information can help people feel reassured,” she said.
So, how does a self-described non-athletic person end up on a 45-day cross-country cycling challenge? “The idea came to me from my best friend’s dad who cycled across Canada after his wife passed away from breast cancer,” she said.
Her cycling journey does service as a metaphor for the challenges facing parents. “This is very challenging for me,” she said. “I wanted something that would mirror the experience of parents and kids when they are facing what seem to be insurmountable obstacles.” And the obstacles have been very challenging on this journey, sometimes finding herself facing sheer cliffs on one side of her while heavy trucks roar past her on the other.
She described meeting other cyclists while climbing huge uphill grades and the comfort she took from their presence as they joined forces. That too was a metaphor. “I think that shows that when you are struggling with mental health stuff, especially when it is your kid, you don’t want to feel alone, you want someone to help you.”
As might be expected, Dr. DiGiacomo has experienced doubts and low points in her journey, and it is the support and encouragement from others that help to keep her going.
Dr. DiGiacomo described Manitoulin Island as “absolutely beautiful” and the Chi-Cheemaun ferry ride as one of her favourite parts of the journey so far.
You can follow Dr. DiGiacomo on her journey on her Instagram account.
