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The moment I chose to stay was the moment I realized my pain had a purpose. That purpose is you.
— JAMES DONALDSON, Founder OF Your Gift of Life Foundation
Hear from James
A message from the founder
About me
I almost didn't make it. That's why I'm here.
There were nights I didn't think I would see the morning. Nights when the weight of everything — the pain, the silence, the feeling that no one could possibly understand — felt like it would swallow me whole.
I lived with mental health challenges for years before I found the courage to name them. Suicidal ideations were something I carried in secret, convinced that speaking them out loud would make me a burden. I was wrong. Speaking them out loud — finally, to someone who listened — was the first step toward survival.
I share my story not because it is easy, but because someone needs to hear it. Maybe that someone is you.
Our mission
Breaking the silence around mental health
Your Gift of Life Foundation exists for James Donaldson to be a voice for those who feel voiceless — to advocate for mental health awareness, to share the raw truth of living with suicidal ideations, and to prove that survival is possible. We are based in Seattle, WA and serve communities everywhere.
501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization · Seattle, Washington
If you are in crisis right now, please reach out. You are not alone and help is available.
Free, confidential support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What we do
Advocacy rooted in lived experience
Advocacy & Awareness
Speaking truth about mental health, suicidal ideations, and the journey to healing. Through storytelling, speaking engagements, and community outreach, we break the stigma one conversation at a time.
Learn MoreBooks & Resources
Written from the depths of personal experience, these books offer raw honesty, hard-won wisdom, and a hand to hold through the darkest chapters. Real stories. Real healing.
Explore BooksCoaching Program
One-on-one coaching for those navigating mental health challenges, rebuilding after crisis, or seeking a guide who has truly walked this path. You deserve support from someone who understands.
Work With MeBooks & Coaching
Words that meet you where you are
Written from the inside of the struggle — not from a clinical distance. These books are for the person who needs to know someone else has been there and made it through.
Coming Soon
A memoir of survival, healing, and finding purpose in pain
Coaching Program
Personalized one-on-one support for your mental health journey
Reach out
You don't have to carry this alone
Whether you want to share your story, inquire about coaching, book a speaking engagement, or simply need someone to hear you — I'm here.