TYLER, Texas — An East Texas native is trying to address children's mental health with the help of two fictional friends.
"I actually started writing Henry's happy heart at the beginning of the pandemic, and I had some free time on my hands," Mallory Fuller, author and East Texas native, said.
Henry's Happy Heart is a tale of two friends, Ruby and Henry, that tackle both physical and emotional hurdles. Together they overcome obstacles and achieve their big dreams.
"The message about the book is you should be treating your feelings and your emotions just like you would if you have a question about your homework or you're not feeling well, and you go see the nurse, it's okay to go see your counselor," Fuller said.
Fuller has been an advocate for suicide prevention since she was 15 years old.
"I lost one of my friends to suicide when I was in high school," she said. "I've been able to do a lot of work with educating people on the warning signs of suicide, what to do if you think somebody may be thinking about suicide, but I was really seeing a disconnect between the mental health of kids and suicide prevention."
Fuller says she wanted a way to reach kids.
"Henry comes to school one day, and he is just not himself," she said. "He's having a lot of anxiety and a lot of self-doubt. And it's making him really sad."
Like adults, children are also dealing with ways to manage stress, depression and anxiety amid the pandemic.
VonGretshun Smith-Gross is a certified holistic life coach and vocational nurse. She's also a local advocate on mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
"Through the pandemic, anxiety has increased with our children, depression has increased with our children," Smith-Gross said.
Smith-Gross says she's seen an increase in teens needing help as well.
"I would say the age group I dealt a lot with is our 14, 15-year-olds and it's because they are right there in the freshman stage," she said. "Where they're leaving middle school and going to high school. So they have a lot of pressure on them."
Both Smith-Gross and Fuller say one of the most important ways in dealing with mental health needs is by reaching out and asking for help.
"The thing I always tell the children and the teenagers is don't ever be afraid to talk to someone," Smith-Gross said.
Available on Amazon now, Henry's Happy Heart, addresses the emotional mental health needs of children.
For more information on how to reach VonGretshun Smith-Gross you may visit her website by clicking here.
For more information on Henry's Happy Heart you may visit the Amazon website.