On August 1, 2018, my world changed forever.

My beautiful daughter, Ava Michelle Saade, unexpectedly passed away from a brain aneurysm at just 10 years old. In a single moment, my family experienced a loss that no parent should ever have to endure.

Grief did not affect us the same way.

On the outside, we looked like we were doing okay—but on the inside, we were not.

I fell apart and gave in to anger, rage, depression, and hopelessness. The weight of losing my little girl consumed me. Instead of being the husband and father my family needed, my grief often came out as anger. I made an already unbearable situation even harder on my family during the time they needed my love and support the most. Rather than helping carry their burden, I added to it. My pain began to damage my marriage and my relationship with my two sons. I became someone I never wanted to be, struggling to find purpose and wondering if life would ever feel whole again.

Nicole’s grief looked different. She withdrew into loneliness, uncertainty, and isolation. She tried pushing her feelings down and focusing on anything other than her loss. Anxiety, overwhelming sadness, and a need to be alone in her thoughts became daily companions. She quietly carried the unbearable weight of losing Ava, being the only woman in our house, and trying to hold together what remained of our family. While the world kept moving forward, she often felt stuck in a place of silence and emotional exhaustion, doing her best to survive each day while holding everything together for everyone else.

As individuals, we were broken.

As a marriage, we were falling apart.

As a family, we were struggling to survive.

By the grace of God, through counseling, the unwavering love of family and friends, and people who refused to give up on us, we slowly began to heal. Our marriage was restored. Our family found hope again. While the pain of losing Ava will always remain, we learned that healing is possible. We learned that asking for help is not weakness—it is one of the greatest acts of courage a person can make.

As we continued our journey, we began to realize something heartbreaking.

Not everyone has the opportunity to receive the help they need.

Every day, individuals and families postpone or forgo counseling because they cannot afford it. Others face limited insurance coverage, provider shortages, transportation challenges, or simply don’t know where to begin. While mental health affects every community, access to quality care remains out of reach for far too many people.

That realization changed everything.

We knew that if our family’s pain could become someone else’s hope, then Ava’s legacy could continue changing lives.

Today, the need has never been greater.

Beginning March 1, changes to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s reimbursement policies are expected to impact more than 10,000 limited-licensed mental health professionals across Michigan, including Limited Licensed Professional Counselors (LLPCs), Limited Licensed Master Social Workers (LLMSWs), and other limited-license behavioral health providers. These changes have the potential to disrupt care for countless individuals and families, forcing many to change therapists, delay treatment, or lose access to the trusted professional who knows their story.

I believe that people should never lose access to quality mental health care because of changes in insurance coverage or financial hardship. I also believe that the compassionate professionals who have dedicated their lives to counseling and therapy should be able to continue serving their communities without unnecessary barriers preventing people from receiving their care.

That is why The Ava Michelle Project exists.

The Ava Michelle Project was not born because I had all the answers. It was born because I experienced brokenness, found healing, and believe no one should have to walk that journey alone.

My mission is to remove financial and practical barriers to mental health care by helping individuals and families access trusted counseling and therapy when cost or insurance changes stand in the way.

I believe that investing in mental health changes lives. It strengthens marriages. It restores families. It helps children thrive. It gives hope to those who feel hopeless. It equips veterans, first responders, students, parents, and individuals from every walk of life with the support they deserve before a crisis becomes a tragedy.

While Ava’s story will always be the heart of this organization, my mission extends far beyond grief. I am committed to improving access to mental health care for anyone who needs it because every person deserves the opportunity to heal.

Ava’s life continues to inspire everything I do.

Her legacy is not measured by the years she lived, but by the lives that continue to be changed because of her.

This is my why.

I believe that hope is stronger than despair.

I believe that healing should never depend on someone’s financial circumstances.

I believe that mental health care should be accessible to everyone.

I believe that the counselors, therapists, and social workers who dedicate their lives to helping others deserve to continue doing the work they were called to do.

And I believe that one little girl’s life can inspire a movement that changes thousands of lives.

Hope. Healing. Purpose.

In loving memory of Ava Michelle Saade.