About
Care has always been personal.
Our family struggled to find the right support. Finding it in our community gave us people we could rely on.
Why we began
Finding people we could rely on.
Lilypad began with my family’s experience of addiction and serious mental illness. My brother lived with schizophrenia and an addiction to crack cocaine, spending 12 years on and off the streets. In Lansing, he nearly died when his heart stopped and doctors had to revive him.
Finding the right provider was difficult, and we couldn’t afford the intensive addiction treatment he needed.
When we found support through community mental health, it felt like we always had someone to rely on. On many trips to his appointments, my brother was barely awake. Yet those visits became a source of hope. Psychiatrists, nurses, and front-desk staff met us with patience and dignity. They kept showing up for him, even when things were difficult.
My mom and dad became his care team, helping him apply to different programs with references and support from community mental health. Without their support, I’m not sure my brother would still be alive today.
We’re building Lilypad to help people access benefits and social care, from finding a program to applying and following through. I want people without a care team to have someone to turn to, too.
A simpler place to start.
Follow along as Lilypad takes shape.
Follow our journey