Jessie's Story
The Dragonfly - During Jessie’s memorial service a story was told of a little tad pole that became a dragonfly. The tad pole left the depths of the water to fly high above the pond. Still there, still watching, all knowing. From that day on the symbol of the dragonfly became a reminder of her. (as told by Jessie’s best friend, Caroline O’Brien)
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Jessie Alexander struggled with an eating disorder for six years and, in 2002, at the age of 20, Jessie took her own life due to complications resulting from her eating disorder and depression. Jessie's hope was to continue to work with children and youth. She hoped that through her work with youth she could prevent others from having to experience the horror of an eating disorder. One of her personal goals was to overcome her illness and be able to support others that are struggling with disordered eating. Jessie's hope was that of every young woman - to experience life to the fullest! Jessie was never able to personally manifest her hope. Although she did not live to fulfill her dreams, we are inspired and moved by her too short life to make real her vision of a world without disordered eating and body image disturbance. 
One of Jessie's qualities was seeing the potential in others before recognizing it in herself. We have an opportunity to learn something from Jessie - that it is as important to celebrate our own inner strength and beauty as it is to recognize these qualities in others. 
Our work as an organization from this day forward will be to remember Jessie's life and to embrace her memory in all of our endeavours as inspiration to celebrate our own inner strength and beauty now and always! 
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