This is in response to the article about Josh Hutchins (June 18). It is great that a young man would come out and put a face to mental illness. I have a family member who continues to struggle with depression and other issues. She has been hospitalized many times throughout her school year.

From her experience, it is obvious to me that officials at the school that she had attended were very ignorant about mental illness. If she had Down syndrome, or looked more like what most people would consider a typically mentally challenged person, her outcome may have been different. But, like Josh, she tried to put on a happy face and appeared to be no different on the surface.

Each time she was discharged from the hospital, she would return to school. I had to attend PETs and thought certainly those in charge would understand. During one such meeting, the head of special education had made copies of transcripts of confidential sessions between the doctor and my family member and distributed them to each teacher in attendance.

There was also an episode of what I term harassment by an assistant principal.

I believe there needs to be a lot more education about mental illness. A lot of people in Maine with a more severe progression of mental illness are getting lost in the shuffle.

I wonder, if most of the people with mental illness could and did vote, would as many programs be getting budget cuts?

Bonnie Lee-Collins, Peru