IMHRO

IMHRO is the coalition of two families and several others whose passion for mental health advocacy is grounded in personal experience. Our lives have been shaken by brain disease, and we've come out campaigning for the research that will cure it.

The Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health

Shari and Garen Staglin's son Brandon was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1990. It rocked their family's life--but with proper care and much love and support, Brandon has been able to feel well, work for the family's business and get married in 2009. Now, since 1995, the whole Staglin family is changing "the landscape from the Napa Valley to Washington, D.C. with sensational fundraisers on behalf of...national mental health research." (Jeanne Winnick Brennan, LuxLife magazine) Their Music Festival for Mental Health brings together generous chefs, wineries, top-bill musicians and scientists to raise money and awareness for the cause. Thanks to its donors and follow-on research support from the National Insitute for Mental Health, the Music Festival has been able to fund some amazing projects and help thousands of people.

Read Brandon's Story...

Sunshine from Darkness

When Lee and Bob Peterson's son David was diagnosed with schizophrenia some thirty years ago, they could not accept resigning him to a lifetime of mental hospital care. Instead, they took on firsthand the quest for a cure for their son's illness. In 1986, they were involved in the founding of NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression. Ten years later they founded their own chapter, NARSAD Florida, which in 2008 became its own non-profit, Sunshine from Darkness. Over twelve years, the "Sunshine from Darkness" gala has blossomed from its original Sarasota venue home into several events in Bradenton, Venice and Tampa taking place year-round. Together, these events have raised over $4 million for mental health research!

Learn more at the Sunshine from Darkness website...

The Formation of IMHRO

In October 2008, these two families came together with other mental health supporters from around the U.S. and Canada to form the International Mental Health Research Organization. Now, we of IMHRO have high hopes that our combined momentum will encourage even more people worldwide to get excited about supporting brain disease research. With rapidly growing knowledge in the science of mental health, it is a critical time in the search for cures. If enough people like you lend support, we can lick major mental illness within our lifetimes.

Learn how you can support mental health through IMHRO