By Tanya Cronin

Margaret Trudeau to talk mental health in Kamloops

Mar 28, 2016 | 5:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Canadian icon will make a visit to Kamloops in the next two weeks, to help raise awareness around mental health issues.

Margaret Trudeau will be the guest speaker at a fundraising breakfast for One South, the acute mental health unit at Royal Inland Hospital. Trudeau lives with bi-polar disorder, and will share her struggles. The ‘Shine the Light’ event, is being put on by the Rotary Club of Kamloops and the RIH Foundation, to help raise funds to renovate the common room, an area critical to the health and well-being of patients and their families. 

“It’s that place that everyone knows about, everybody has family and friends but it definitely got a little overlooked so it’s a little sad, we’re going to spruce it up, we all know the care is excellent, the nurses and doctors are so caring because it’s such a special thing dealing with mental health issues,” says Heidi Coleman, CEO Royal Inland Hospital Foundation.

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The Mental Health Unit at RIH sees close to 1,000 patients each year, many of whom spend days or even weeks in the unit. Cam Rauschenberger’s wife found herself suffering from depression and anxiety, and spent a week in One South. He says the hope is not only to raise $50,000 to upgrade the space, but to provide education on mental illness as well.

“It’s a process it involves treatment and we really want people to understand it’s not a choice, it’s a disease and from time to time you’re going to need help to get better, that’s the key message in addition to raising money,” says Cam Rauschenberger, Rotary Club of Kamloops. 

The fundraiser will be held on Wednesday April 13th at the TRU Grand Hall. Tickets are availible at www.shinethelightkamloops.ca