Biography

Lynn Keane is an author and former broadcast journalist. Since the sudden passing of her son Daniel in 2009, she has dedicated her life to sharing her family’s story, educating about the underlying causes of depression and the importance of treating mental illness. At the heart of Lynn’s work is a belief that talking about mental illness can reduce stigma and save lives – especially our youth. She argues educating the public about mental illness experienced by thousands of students throughout the country can decrease casualties from this disease and create better outcomes for future generations.

Lynn’s work has been featured in The National Post, The Globe & Mail, and Moods Magazine, CBC, Huffington Post, and TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Her interviews include; CTV, The Vancouver Sun, CBC Metro Morning and CHCH amongst others. By sharing such a painful story, she hopes to increase understanding of the universal relevance of mental health awareness, and provide support to families who have experienced suicide: Those of us with first-hand experience of suicide have an opportunity to lead the conversation and raise awareness for suicide prevention while paying homage to our loved ones.

Lynn’s recently published memoir, Give Sorrow Words, has been widely praised by psychologists, parents and the mental health community alike, with accolades from Susan Mahoney, Executive Producer, CBC The Sunday Edition, The Canadian Mental Health Association (Peel Branch), Dr. Roger McIntyre, Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology University of Toronto and journalist Michael Landsberg. Through advocacy, an open approach, and working with mental health professionals and organizations, Keane has become a passionate, highly respected voice on depression and suicide prevention in Canada.