Lehigh Acres mom starts initiative to help parents and kids connect

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. —

It's easy to see that Marqi Jones and her 16-year-old daughter, Mariah, are in close step.

"She's always laughing, always joking, loud and ambitious," said Marqi. "She's just an around the way girl."

It wasn't long ago that their effortless joy was anything but.

"She would come home and go straight to her room. She wouldn't come out unless she wanted to eat," said Marqi. "At first I took it as she's a teenager, she's doing what teenagers do."

Two years ago, a call from Mariah's school led to a conversation Marqi wasn't expecting.

"She told me that she had been cutting herself which is why she was wearing the long sweaters," said Marqi. "I wasn't there for her to protect her. That was my first thought."

Mariah has since healed from self-harm. It's something Marqi believes started with honest talks between them.

But Marqi didn't stop there.

"I was thinking to myself; i can't be the only parent, the only mom, facing this. She can't be the only teenager, facing this," said Marqi.

Through partnering with Lee Health, Marqi founded the initiative, "Broken Crayons Still Color." It gives parents and kids a chance to connect through vulnerable conversations.

"We let the teenagers say what bothered them, what they didn't like in the home, what they wish they could do more with their family, and we made the parents listen," said Marqi. "I hope that they left with things that could help when they're in a moment of anxiety or depression or feeling overwhelmed."

When asked how it's changed her relationship with her daughter, Marqi says, "it's continued to allow us to come closer together as a family."

Marqi proves that even when we feel out of sync, a real connection can help us move forward.

The phone number for Lee Health's Behavioral Health Center is 239-481-4111.

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