This is so inspiring, sad, and wonderful. I like how his phone bank, having people with mental illness share with others who called in. I called our crisis line here one day, to see if anyone could talk to me, and help me understand the world that my daughter has drifted into.Because the part of the story ""We kept contact with him, but the nature of the disease made him keep us at bay," his brother said. He did not put his brother or sister's names on any contact lists or introduced them to his friends." Has happened to me, and it is very hard, to have someone become so very ill, and then try and understand and ask, if it was 'normal' for very psychotic people like my daughter, to react that way. Considering she was like my shadow, loved going places with me, (wow here comes the pity party sign)hugged everyone before she even said "Hello", to have that gone is so shocking. So I asked, and have asked, Ive called and have called. The one at the end of the Crisis line, told me to call a friend and go to a movie. I asked, is there anyone there, who has lived with someone with delusions? is there anyone who can tell me it is ok, that she is sick, and it isnt rejection of me, which Im sorry (more pity party)is what it started to feel like? She said, well you could go to a NAMI meeting, oh but there arent anymore for the rest of the month in your area. I said, ok, thank you for your time. After 8 months of this, a staff person just last week told me she was 'by the book' and everything she was doing, was 'normal' for her psychosis. SO did I need reassuring? well not really assuring for my self, but I just couldn't connect the dots. When you lose someone so vital, alive and loving, and were so connected with them,laughed with them, enjoyed their company, to have them completely opposite, is mind boggling, and it is very hard. This story just gave me more answers, as well as HOPE that she will fight to come back, and get on with what she is good at,and understand that it may not include her family, but that is not my goal for her, to just 'get well to come home with us', I want her to have a chance at her life, her beautiful and wonderful life, her kind heart, her volunteering dates back to when she was 13, which is very much the way they describe Rene.I have no doubt when she is well, she will help others, that was always her core of her being. Also, to know an advocate died, reminds us all, that someone needs to fill those shoes. We should all hope to fill shoes like his. Thanks for posting that story.