Don Fraser credits family, doctors, and medications for helping him with schizophrenia
Donald Fraser was once enrolled in Surrey’s program for gifted students, active in sports, musically inclined, and popular. Years later, while at University of British Columbia, Donald experienced symptoms of schizophrenia for the first time. That began what has been described as a two-decade-long odyssey—“a roller coaster of diagnoses, institutions, a wide variety of medications and treatments, successes and failures.” Donald was diagnosed with schizophrenia and occipital epilepsy.
Donald was recognized in 2005 with a “Courage to Come Back Award” from Coastal Health. He told The Province newspaper, “I love [this award] but it doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to all the mentally ill people who have had the courage to come back. The award also goes to people who don’t make it because it gives them something to hope for.”
We’re joined in the studio by musician, writer, and outdoorsman Don Fraser.
