Brother & Sister Create Mental Health App For Teens
When 15-year-old Hannah Lucas was diagnosed with a mental condition often causing her to pass out, she slipped into a depression and began to intentionally hurt herself. She was anxious and scared that she would pass out when no one was nearby to help her. In efforts to come up with a solution for herself and other teens, her and her younger brother Charlie created an app to alert family members in emergency situations.
photo source: the star
"I started passing out more frequently and I was afraid to go anywhere," Hannah said to ABC News. "Because what if I passed out and ... what if someone took advantage of me?"
Hannah and Charlie decided to develop an app they called 'notOK' to help other teens feel less alone. Charlie utilized his coding abilities he learned from summer camp to work while Hannah pulled from her experiences to create the ideal experience with the app.
Hannah Lucas pitched her app during a summer entrepreneurship class at Georgia Tech. Shortly after she partnered with a development company in Savannah, Georgia birthing her idea into reality.
photo source: Black Enterprise
notOK lets users to press a button that will send an emergency text to five pre-selected family members and friends; making them aware that the app user is not okay. The automated message reads: "Hey, I am not okay. Please call me, text me, or come find me." Recipients receive the users location via GPS.
Hannah said to Black Enterprise Magazine,
"I want other people who are going through what I'm going through to not feel alone. To know that it's okay to not be OK."
The notOK app is available for $2.99/month on both IOS and Android devices.
Charlie and Hannah are a great example of turning a not so ideal situation and transmuting it into a positive, providing others with a solution as well. They saw a need that wasn't being met, and created something that can change many lives. That's #BlackExcellence!
