Thirteen-year-old Siena was stuck in a crowded emergency room waiting for treatment.
For the past few months, 13-year-old Siena Stadtmueller has refined bath bomb and soap recipes to start a business for purposes far beyond personal hygiene.
“All soaps are named after a variety of mental illnesses, because I promote their awareness,” said Stadtmueller, who invited KARE11 to one of the bath bomb making sessions this week. Said. “I wanted to do lavender chamomile because it calms down people who are uneasy.”
Throughout much of the pandemic, Siena struggled to overcome her own serious anxiety and depression, which led to a mental health crisis in December 2020.
“It was the first time I felt like an emergency,” said Siena’s mother, Jill Stadtmueller. “It’s a situation where she’s sad, angry, or throwing temperamental tantalum. If I don’t do anything about this now, she’s injured or in the ER for another reason. It will be.”
Kent Ardar: “Can you explain how it feels when you are in the middle of it?”
Siena: “It’s like you’re lost, you don’t even know who you are, you’re stuck there, and you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
As the pandemic continued, the sense of uncertainty increased. The waiting list for both inpatient and outpatient support has become very long, and crowded ERs have remained the only option.
Jill: “The last two visits we were there for about three days … in the ER.”
Kent: “Have you ever felt what I’m doing here?”
Siena: “Yeah. That’s definitely what I felt. I felt really guilty just sitting there, because there are people involved in life support who need to be in the ER right now. I was wondering if there was one.
Related: Children at stake | MN Day Treatment Providers Join forces to Seek Help As The Waiting List for Youth Services Increases
And when she was admitted to the hospital, Jill says the same, frustrating cycle continued.
“I think the goal in these environments is to get you out of it pretty quickly,” Jill said. “And you are sent home with a new medicine and follow up with a psychiatrist. But your psychiatrist is so busy that you can’t talk to them, but every few weeks. No success. We ended up quitting the drug, and then a problem arose, what would we do when we were in crisis again? “
Jill knew that an outpatient day-trip program could ultimately bring Siena its long-term solution, but she, like countless other people, had even longer wait times. Continued to face.
Jill: “Basically, we had to spend nine months getting to where we are now. She has a place where she feels the right level of care.”
Kent: “Siena, not many kids of your age have the courage to talk about it publicly. Why did you choose to do it?”
Siena: “I want to help other people who are in need of help like me. I feel scared just sitting without doing anything. I really want to find the root of the problem and fix it. “
For now, that means creating an Etsy site for her “Suds n’Buds” soap and bath bomb, and 25% of the proceeds will be donated to a mental health nonprofit.
“All soaps are named after a variety of mental illnesses,” Siena said. “Because I am raising their awareness.”
Siena and Jill also hope to bring awareness to Minnesota parliamentarians as they are considering proposals to increase significant funding for local mental health professionals.
“My hope is that it will be easier for the people around me to get help,” Siena said.
Related: Wellness programs help restore the mental health of school staff
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