Home - Unsinkable

home_banner-2000×949-1.jpg

Alone, you can only do so much

home_banner2-new-1

Together We Are Unsinkable

Alone, you can only do so much

Together we are Unsinkable

Together we’re Unsinkable

Unsinkable is a not-for-profit organization founded by Silken Laumann. We care about mental, physical, social, and spiritual health. We share stories, amplify voices, and offer a community of support, resources, and programs built with your wellbeing in mind. Together, we are unsinkable.

Our Stories

Merchandise

Our Impact

unsinkablestories

Yá'át'ééh (Hello) my name is Krystalynn Chee.

Yá'át'ééh (Hello) my name is Krystalynn Chee. I'm a mom to a 6 year old little girl. Here's a short version of my story. I've had 3 spinal cord surgeries due to a tumor growing inside my spinal cord on my nerves causing major nerve damage to my legs mainly my right leg, also the result of the surgeries I've got a weak back and chronic back pain basically 24/7 since 2010. I've also had other small surgeries after. My health isn't the greatest. I've also gone through a year of chemo & radiation treatments.

I've been on this road to recovery for over 4 years now since I've had my 3rd surgery that put me in a wheelchair. I've learned that recovery is not a race and that you don't need to feel guilty if it takes longer than you thought it would. Recovery doesn't mean that you will be returning to how you were before. There is no going back only forward. But you reinvent yourself in the process. You become someone completely different. I was told by my doctors I would never be able to use my legs again and my world was shaken but I knew from the beginning I wasn't going to give up without a fight. I knew I had to at least try.

So over the years I've learned to seek out the bright spots in my new lifestyle. I knew that I wasn't going to stop living so I found a new way of living life to the fullest just with some extra wheels attached to me. I've learned to turn down the volume in my head that was telling me "I can't" do something just because my legs weren't fully functional. I work hard everyday and everyday I'm making small progress. Doctors still don't understand how my legs are moving with no nerve connection to my muscles. They don't understand how I'm able to walk with my walker or even just be able to stand. Let's just say I serve a God who is a God of all miracles.

I still have some of the tumor in my spinal cord but they're sleeping as I would say. But what I'm trying to say is don't be discouraged when something unexpected happens in your life. Sometimes taking the detour route is what you need. Stay the course. 🤍🙏🏼

- Krystalynn Chee

.

Thank you @chee_lifegoeson for sharing your Unsinkable story with us 💛

Every day is a gift: opening my eyes is a gift, so

Every day is a gift: opening my eyes is a gift, so is getting out of bed and feeling the floor under my feet, walking to the bathroom, having a shower on my own, going outside for a walk by myself. All that life had given me is now back in my hands.

My attitude has changed: I’m more positive, I have more respect for others and I will always be grateful to my patient husband who has been beside me all the way. My circle of friends had a very strong healing power on my recovery. I’m still healing and I will eventually conquer the stairs I still can’t climb, but I am whole again, independent and thankful to have had the privilege of encountering Silken while she was in recovery in Maui.

- Danielle Belanger 💛

Beginning this month with a meditation of reflecti

Beginning this month with a meditation of reflection.

Take 10 mins with @pammyfitzg to reflect and find peace in your heart for the upcoming holiday season.

This can be a stressful time we are here to help with a calming meditation each week and please reach out anytime if you are looking for more support

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #peace #joy #reflection #love #selfcompassion #selfworth

Join us for another powerful meditation led by @pa

Join us for another powerful meditation led by @pammyfitzg today! 💛

When something’s not feeling good for me, my sto

When something’s not feeling good for me, my stomach squeezes, and I ask myself, "what do I need right now? because this clearly isn’t working.”

I don’t want to feel squeezed, I want to feel ease! Becoming aware of what really feels right to you. And this doesn’t come quick. This is a process and, but it’s something to learn, because, you know what feels right for you and your voice matters.

Your voice matters and you are worthy of saying it. Your voice matters, and people need to hear you. - @_barbieliss 💛

The experience of losing a limb is a complex and e

The experience of losing a limb is a complex and encompassing journey and a hard one to describe to those that have no knowledge of what it entails. It is walking a narrow, twisted, winding pathway with oddly placed speed bumps of varying heights, the very act of which everyday literally requires not only balancing physical needs but also mental and emotional needs.

Every step.

Every single day–for the rest of your amputee life.

Physical needs of an amputee are often recognized as the priority. There are ‘fixes’ to help with regaining mobility; there are people trained to get us available prosthetics and moving to the best of our abilities. This alone is a huge mountain to climb, one worthy of recognition and celebration as every step forward is a milestone.

However, the mental and emotional aspects of healing as an amputee can be the hardest hurdles to confront and accept, the depth of which are only visible, and felt, by you. Loss and grief in any aspect of being human are where we stumble and fall, crushed by the weight of something so much heavier than believed bearable. Losing a limb through trauma or illness can feel the same as losing a loved one – the gap feels vast and the abyss too deep to comprehend how you will feel whole again.

After losing my leg in a motorcycle accident at 16 and coming out of consciousness to face this new realization, the only coping measure I could employ to survive was to get through one day at a time...

.

You can continue reading Andrea's Unsinkable story by visiting the link in our bio 💛

We can't believe that this is already the last Min

We can't believe that this is already the last Mindfulness Thursdays of the year 💛 💛 💛

Join #CommunityChampions @pammyfitzg and @thathannahalper for this very special conversation, as they reflect on all the joys and hardships of 2021 💛

We CAN'T wait to see you there!

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#instagramlive #reflection #mindfulness #mentalhealthinsights #mentalhealthadvocates

I understand the struggles after a motor vehicle c

I understand the struggles after a motor vehicle crash are real and I hear you. You will face numerous obstacles and our online support group holds space for crash survivors to vent, to feel heard, valued and understood. It is important to remember that you are not alone and I welcome you to join the Crash Support Network Group where survivors are connecting with each other, sharing their struggles & inspirations and cheering each other on 💛

.

You can continue reading Dawne's story by visiting the link in our bio 💛

#MyUnsinkableStory

Everything started when I was sixteen: I was diagn

Everything started when I was sixteen: I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma; a type of blood cancer that attacks your lymphatic system. The tumours living inside of me resided in my collarbone and chest - one the size of a large grape, the other the size of an orange. I went through 3 rounds of chemo at Sickkids hospital and 14 days worth of radiation. We thought we had won the battle. Little did we know it had only just begun.

Since then, I have gone through 4 more fights with cancer at Juravinski Hospital. Each time was different:

The first and second fights included an organic, cold-pressed juicing therapy, and chemo; ultimately leading to a stem cell transplant.

The third battle included -you guessed it- chemotherapy. This lead to psychosis, a coma, addiction and epilepsy. It was the messiest of all. I learned a lot about myself and overcame a lot of obstacles. It was pretty intense.

This final battle has led to a brain biopsy, a trip to the ICU, chemo and now, immunotherapy.

Each diagnosis presented itself with different dilemmas but, I came out strong all the same.

I leave you with this:

Stay strong,
Be confident in yourself.
I believe in you.

- Ryan Gardner 💛

.

Thank you Ryan @thewarrior.ca for sharing your story with us, and embodying what it means to be Unsinkable! You can read her poem by visiting the link in our bio 💛

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#mystory #myrecoverystory #inspirationalstories #motivationalvideos

This week's Unsinkable story is about healing from

This week's Unsinkable story is about healing from a traumatic car accident, finding courage and turning your pain into your triumph.

"Expect really bad days but you will also have some good days as you recover." - Dawne @crashsupportnetwork

Link in our bio to read Dawne's Unsinkable story! 💛

#MyUnsinkableStory

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#mentalhealthadvocate #mentalhealthstories #traumasurvivors

I cannot describe for you exactly what running and

I cannot describe for you exactly what running and athletics has done for me because it’s almost an indescribable feeling. Feeling the strength and resiliency of your physical body is both amazing, life changing, and, I would argue, necessary.

Knowing what my body is capable of has changed the way I treat it. By combining my love of the arts with the world of sports, I feel I am surrounded by healthy ways of coping and living my life to the fullest.

I still have depression. It didn’t go away. It’s something that I have had to accept may never leave. I may always struggle with things in a more intense way than those who don’t have the condition. Maybe I’ll always be the person who struggles with my mood.

However, I can say that when I was in my twenties I was right about one thing: I was not meant to live like that. That wasn’t how it was meant to be. I didn’t know how to get out of it in that moment, but more than wanting to end my life I just wanted the hurt and sadness to end. I know that now.

I have often said that the key to understanding mental health conditions is not to see them as death sentences but rather as life sentences. Depression is one part of my life sentence. So is running, the arts, my community, my wonderful family and friends. Depression is no match for that.

- Désirée Jones 💛

Nuggets of wisdom by our amazing Community Champio

Nuggets of wisdom by our amazing Community Champion Chris @inspire_canada 💛

I started taking antidepressants in 2004 though I

I started taking antidepressants in 2004 though I have suffered from depression most of my life. I have been on many types of medications that worked sometimes for long periods of times, while others only worked briefly or not at all.

I never shared my depression with most of my family, friends, or co-workers. It terrified me that people would find out my secret. I was ashamed of myself, and I felt like a failure. The stigma of mental illness has always been a huge barrier for me to overcome, and I admit that what others think is very important to me.

.

You can continue reading Kim's story by visiting the link in our bio 💛

I started living from my heart and my soul’s des

I started living from my heart and my soul’s desires for the first time in my life. I realized I was worthy of happiness, and slowly started to feel free. - Lise-Marie Irving 💛

.

You can continue reading this Unsinkable story by visiting the link in our bio 💛

I’m pretty sure now looking back, I was literall

I’m pretty sure now looking back, I was literally born predisposed to struggling with my mental health. I don’t remember a time where I haven’t felt some level of anxious. I was 9 when I was first referred to the child & adolescent mental health services (Camhs) & at the time I had absolutely no idea what mental health was.

I was diagnosed with anxiety & underwent CBT for the first time which did help give me some relief for a few years but it was still there in the background. & then I started secondary school… My time at secondary school pretty much consisted of panic attacks, cohesive control, self harm & the start of coming to terms with the fact my mental health was something I was going to have to battle. But nothing could’ve prepared me for what was to come. At this point in my life, I felt that my mental health was something I should be ashamed of & I hid how I was feeling at all costs. But the thing with mental health is you can only suppress it so much until you can’t take it any longer. For me that time came when I was 17 & I just wasn’t coping...

.

Thank you @rach_eelllstudentnurse for sharing your Unsinkable story with us!

You can continue reading Rachel's story by visiting the link in our bio 💛

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#mymentalhealthstory #mentalhealthstories #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalhealthmatters

This week's Unsinkable story touches on approachin

This week's Unsinkable story touches on approaching trauma by deconstructing old belief systems, sinking into the divine feminine, and creating a sacred embodiment of authenticity to manifest the life of desire, pleasure and joy.

Visit the link in our bio to read @lise_marie's story! 💛

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#mentalhealthstories #mymentalhealthstory #mentalhealthmatters

THIS 👏 👏 👏 Thank you @nate_postlethwait

THIS 👏 👏 👏

Thank you @nate_postlethwait for sharing this powerful message!!

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#tweeted #tweets #mentalhealthmatters #endthestigma

But as distressing as it was to slowly be drowning

But as distressing as it was to slowly be drowning in mental illness, nothing prepared me for the most terrifying mental health experience of my life: the day I wasn’t anxious anymore.

You might think that not experiencing anxiety sounds great but I’d only ever known how to be happy by managing and controlling the unwanted thoughts and feelings my brain threw up at me. Some of my earliest memories are of obsessing for weeks about terrible things I thought I might’ve done. I’d built my life around fear and anxiety. As much as I hated the prison of mental illness, I loved the compulsions that kept me trapped in it. I knew of no other way to live. I only knew how to find happiness by exchanging it for pain.

And so it was. Having discovered the junk in my head was not so healthy, and that it is not, apparently, useful to stand in front of your stove and watch it to make sure it doesn’t spontaneously combust, I luckily landed in front of a great therapist. After several months of working together, doing intense work to cut out compulsions that had always been in my life, things were progressing well. So well, that one beautiful morning in Vancouver, sunlight streaming down through the trees, this green glow all around me, I remember walking to school along the path behind my apartment and I noticed I wasn’t anxious. I had nothing to check or control, nothing to be ashamed of or feel guilty or worry about when I saw people later at school. I was free.

It was a completely unfamiliar feeling. I melted in a panicked puddle of anxiety.

The freedom I’d never known was so much scarier than the well-worn prison I knew so well. So I relapsed. On purpose...

.

You can continue reading Mark's story by visiting the link in our bio! 💛

Working to accept our selves, circumstances and ou

Working to accept our selves, circumstances and our world right now can help ease stress and provide us with the clarity to live through any situation.

Today @pammyfitzg guides us through an acceptance refection.

Take 10 mins to breathe and accept.

#meditation #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #reflection #peace #acceptance #selfcare

I don’t know how many times in sharing my story

I don’t know how many times in sharing my story people would say: “I never would have thought someone like you could be experiencing challenges with their mental health.”

In hearing this, I often struggled with understanding what people meant by “someone like me”.

However, the reality is, we all probably know “someone like me” who smiles each day at work, continues to be a support to others, all while struggling perhaps in the silence and comfort of their own home.

I share my story to remind people that mental health does not discriminate, it can affect us all. And while less apparent than a cut or bruise, mental illness can dig just as deep.

That’s why it is so important to check in on your friends, your family, your colleagues … because even the strong ones may need a little support of their own or reminder that they are not alone. The best part of sharing my story is realizing just that.
- Amanda Bernardo, Mental Health Champion @byamandabernardo

Learn more about Amanda’s story by visiting the link in our bio! 💛

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#mymentalhealthjourney #mentalhealthstory #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalhealthawareness

Follow on Instagram

© 2021 Unsinkable | Privacy Policy