About Us
Who We Are
The Tommy Cable BrightLove Project is a non-profit organization which aims to address the invisible epidemic of mental illness, particularly as it impacts young adults. Our goal is to save and improve lives by ensuring that young adults can find the support, solidarity and services they need to manage mental health challenges and thrive in any environment, especially as they transition to independence beyond high school. We are joined in this endeavor by a community of young adults, families, educators, administrators, healthcare and other professionals, friends, musicians, artists, dog-lovers, and, hopefully, you.
Our Mission
To change the prevailing community mindset regarding mental diversity and illness from one of stigma, ignorance, prejudice and shame to one of empathy, respect, empowerment and support.
To fight for increased availability of timely psychiatric services, resources and supports for young adults who are dealing with emerging or evolving mental health conditions, especially as they transition to independence after turning 18.
To connect young adults living with mental illness, amplify their voices, and save lives through solidarity, shared experience, and intentional acts of kindness.
To promote the powerful emotional healing benefits of therapy dogs and ESAs on campus.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world where:
We no longer distinguish between “physical” and “mental” illness, as if your mind were not part of your body.
Communities are educated about mental diversity and psychiatric illness, and adolescents, young adults and their families and allies are empowered to recognize the warning signs of emerging conditions and seek help – and can find help when they seek it.
Society acknowledges the high prevalence of mental health disorders among adolescents and young adults — and communities, schools and colleges have adjusted their priorities to invest meaningfully in emotional wellbeing and psychiatric support.
Our Story
Tommy Cable’s BrightLove Project was born out of tragedy, and the realization that it was possible, even imperative, to create something good from that tragedy, and to try to prevent more unnecessary loss of very precious lives.
Tommy was our beautiful, goofy, talented, funny, and immensely kind son/brother/friend, who died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl in February 2020, shortly after turning 19. For Tommy, the 18 months leading up to his death were filled with chronic physical and mental illness, pain and injury, as well as emotional anguish and self-doubt. They were also filled with enormous courage, great achievement, and determination to keep trying to fix his escalating mental breakdown. Repeatedly, Tommy tried to find help; repeatedly, the system let him down. During that whole time, he never let us down — his family, his friends, his colleagues, his dog. Even in the hardest moments, he kept trying to be there for us, sharing hugs, jokes, playing in the band, finishing the arrangement for his sister’s wedding, beaming with pride at his friends’ achievements, and, above all, supporting his friends through their own dark times. After he died, we were inundated with messages from people who Tommy had helped. Of course, we always knew he was kind, but we never realized the extent of his gentle support, how many lives he had touched, how many friends he had quietly raised up.
We decided to take the painful lessons learned from Tommy’s mental health journey, and to use his legacy of love, fundamental integrity, kindness and beautiful music to create a movement that will help other vulnerable young adults find the support and services that he didn’t find, which could have saved his life, and will hopefully save others.
BrightLove Project, Inc.
194 W Sutton Road
Sutton, MA 01590
USA