Impact across generations at Aftershock: Jade’s story
“I’m 16 and have 0 support. I don’t have any friends or family. I try my best to tell myself ‘I don’t need others to determine my worth,’ but it still hurts so bad. I can’t get anything alone because I’m a minor. I miss when everything was OK, like when we were kids.”
16-year-old Jade came to Aftershock looking for the same thing most attendees were looking for: to enjoy her favorite bands and to take a break from the weight of life. She had no idea that she was about to experience something with far more impact.
First steps: opening up on the Support Wall
The banner advertising free lyric tattoos drew Jade over to HeartSupport’s booth, which featured multiple options for band lyric tattoos in addition to the inflatable Support Wall. Although the tattoos initially drew this teenage music fan over, it was the Support Wall that kept her. After a volunteer explained what the wall was all about, she quickly took a marker from him and wrote on a card, opening up about her challenges.
“I’m proud of you for demonstrating strength through opening up,” the HeartSupport volunteer told her.
She quickly answered, “I’ve gone through a lot, and life has been really hard. But it’s important to make sure to be there for others. To stand up and protect people who are getting bullied.”
As Jade shared more of her story, the reason for her conviction became clear. Her mother abandoned Jade at a young age, and her father had been largely absent as well until relatively recently. Already alone in the world, Jade endured bullying, abuse in a dating relationship, and sexual assault.
“Sometimes lately, I find it hard to get out of bed,” she admitted. A deep depression had settled over her, making even daily tasks hard. At one point, she was placed in an academic recovery program after her grades slipped. But here her phoenix-like tenacity kicked in yet again as she pulled herself back on track.
But even as she shared about the weighty things she’d been through, this young woman’s resilience was clear: she continually returned to the way her own suffering had taught her the importance of showing up for others. She had used Roblox to code a game that taught other kids to be resilient and handle hard emotional situations. She was eager to do anything she could to support anyone else who might be struggling.
“When I noticed her lip quiver, she would immediately return to the idea of making sure to take care of others who were experiencing those things, as if it were her defense mechanism to bring herself out of the darkness,” the first volunteer to talk to her recalls.
But at this particular festival, Jade didn’t have to be the only one lifting others — she got to be lifted up as well.
“I told her it took me way too long to understand that people like us are preyed upon by narcissists and other bad actors for our big hearts,” the volunteer explained. “They see it as a weakness and try to take advantage of our outgoing nature. It is important to protect ourselves while still being a good person to others. I told her that if she could learn that now instead of going through the two decades of pain that I had to in order to learn it, she would absolutely achieve her dream of being a marine biologist and go on to do great things. She asked if she could give me a hug, and we did… then she left to explore the festival.”
But Jade’s story with HeartSupport wasn’t done.
Beginning to build community
She came back later in the evening to write out support for someone else who had opened up on the wall. It was the perfect moment for her to see some of the encouragement that had been left for her.
“I felt the exact same way when I was 16,” one response said. “Being a teenager sucks so bad. But you aren’t alone and so many people are here for you. My Instagram is [redacted] if you ever need a friend.”
Another said, “Facebook groups and HeartSupport. Do everything you have with what you have. Find it, search deep!”
“YOU HAVE ME!” still another response exclaimed. “I was you. Come to the tent.”
Jade had done exactly that. As she was writing her reply, another attendee was writing his reply to her. When Jade noticed, she shyly tapped on his arm to get his attention. They immediately hugged, and he launched into words of deep encouragement for Jade, reminding her of her incredible worth and bravery.
“I’m so proud of you for doing everything you can to get through your struggles,” he told her.
“It’s important for us to be a light out there for others, especially the younger generation. It made my night that I was able to be there for her.”
— HeartSupport replier who spoke with Jade
Responses to Jade on the Support Wall
This became the perfect moment for another HeartSupport volunteer to join the community that was beginning to surround Jade with love. This particular volunteer had a past so similar to Jade’s that she said it felt like it could have been her own.
Describing listening to Jade’s story, the volunteer said, “I felt like I was on fire! It gave me such an adrenaline rush of hopelessness and sense of urgency!”
The two walked off towards the band who was on stage at the moment, deep in conversation. Their hearts connected so deeply that they never even made it to see the band; instead, they shared solidarity, care, and the kind of connection that is only possible when two people are completely, generously vulnerable with their shared experiences.
“I remember how much she opened up to me and told me about everything that had happened to her throughout her young life! It was like looking in a mirror,” the volunteer who spent the evening with Jade says. “She confided in me about her self-harm and said she was trying to stop.”
The team member gave Jade one of her own bracelets from a previous festival, inviting her to snap the bracelet against her wrist as a coping mechanism when she felt the urge to self-harm. The two also exchanged contact information so that they could stay in touch and Jade could continue to get support from someone who understood what she was struggling with.
Because of the HeartSupport booth, this teenager went from having no one to being surrounded by a whole new community of support. This is exactly what healing the scene is about: recognizing that every person at a concert has their moment to both give and receive support, to change lives and let their lives be changed.
In Jade’s case, it was a particularly special example of that dynamic at work between generations.
Are you ready to play your part in healing the scene? Donate today to make moments like this possible for more teenagers like Jade!
