Will Ferguson, 19, had been struggling with mental illness for five years — a condition that worsened during COVID-19 — when he died by suicide in September.
| Posted: 8 hours ago | Updated: 8 hours ago | 6 Min Read John Horrelt, left, ex-board member of the Canadian Mental Health Association, shows Troy Ferguson a plaque at a Charlottetown affordable housing ceremony that bears the name of Troy's son, Will, who died in September 2022.
- ContributedThis article includes details of suicidal thoughts. Will Ferguson, 19, had been struggling with mental illness for five years — a condition that worsened during COVID-19 — when he died by suicide in September. Through those years, Will struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is a mental illness that, despite the common misconception, does not mean being extremely organized.Will’s friends and family hope talking about what happened will help increase awareness of OCD and break stereotypes. “I wish I could change the world with a snap of my fingers, but, one person at a time,” Will’s father, Troy Ferguson, said in an interview.Housing units Will was living in Calgary and going to school in Nova Scotia when he died. But his story and his name have made an impact in P.E.I. The Canadian Mental Health Association in P.E.I. helped fund 28 affordable housing units on Fitzroy Street in Charlottetown. Among the companies that helped make the project possible was 720 Solutions, owned by Troy Ferguson. John Horrelt, an ex-board member for CMHA and friend of the Ferguson family, says organizers learned of Will's death while working on the project. About eight months in, Troy Ferguson and Horrelt scheduled a Zoom call with Holland College president Sandy MacDonald. Some students in the school’s project management program helped with the project.Horrelt texted him. No response.“Something’s wrong, Sandy. I apologize, we’ll rebook,” Horrelt recalled saying.“The worst thing that could ever happen, has happened. Will has taken his own life.” Horrelt remembers his reaction — a shock, then devastation. But he knew right away he wanted to do something. “I remember him talking about taking just a bit of the weight of the pain from Will’s shoulders and I hope that Troy realizes that there’s a whole group of us out there that just want to share that burden.”“We’ve got to realize this can happen to anybody,” Horrelt said.“You could tell he was a very gentle and kind soul, kind of like his father.”Emmett McDonald was aware his friend struggled with mental illness, but he didn’t fully understand OCD or how big of an impact it can have. “You know, you hear about depression, but you never hear about OCD and its impact on people’s mental health.”McDonald remembers getting pizza together after school. They would joke and Will would rap for the group. They left Calgary to attend St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S. together. By the second semester, McDonald noticed Will was less motivated. It got worse over time. McDonald was shocked when he heard his friend died in Calgary days before he was due to return to St. F.X. He had seen him a few days earlier and it took a few days to realize he would never see him again.Lauren Motherwell, another Calgary friend of Will’s who is also attending St. F.X., said her favourite thing about Will was he was so easy to talk to. However, he was a private person and didn’t talk about himself often.They have been friends since Grade 11 in Calgary. When she started attending St. F.X. she was nervous. It was a new school in a new province. When she learned Will would be there too, she felt much better.Motherwell also noticed a change in Will throughout the second semester, but she was not expecting to lose him.She heard from Will the night he died. She was preparing for school and visiting her grandparents but told him she couldn’t wait to see him when he came back to school.He asked if she had seen Will. He said Will was extremely suicidal and the family hadn’t heard from him.Motherwell didn’t sleep much that night. She still had to get on the plane in Calgary the next day.Waiting in the Halifax Airport for a bus, she got another message from Will’s brother.Being back at school is really hard, she said. Motherwell knew another student in their residence who died a few months earlier. This motivated her to set up a meeting with the school’s president. She wants to help advocate, maybe start a fundraiser, she said. Whatever form it takes, she will do what she can to raise awareness about mental illness.If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, seek help immediately by either calling 911, going to an emergency department or calling the Island Helpline at 1-800-218-2885.Casey Allen is a student in the journalism program at Holland College. It has been our privilege to have the trust and support of our East Coast communities for the last 200 years. Our SaltWire team is always watching out for the place we call home. Our 100 journalists strive to inform and improve our East Coast communities by delivering impartial, high-impact, local journalism that provokes thought and action. Please consider joining us in this mission by becoming a member of the SaltWire Network and helping to make our communities better.
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