Alessio’s plan for the Glad House was to destigmatize mental illness and provide the necessary support to
those in need.
After fighting his wild beast for more than half of his life, Alessio believed that facing it and going public are the best ways to end the stigma and make the world a healthier, easier place to live in. This was one of the reasons he chose to publicly share his story and struggles on Facebook, shortly before he lost his battle and took his own life at the age of 28 in October of 2018.
Respecting and honoring the beast will lead to support and acceptance
We strive to equip communities with inspiring tools that foster conversations and advancement around mental health issues
Alessio Ian Manti
Alessio was born in Italy, where he lived until the age of 6 when he and his mother Janis moved to New York. He was highly intelligent, both intellectually and emotionally, and showed signs of a bright future from a very young age. Alessio became known for his sense of humor and his booming laugh—something his friends around the world will never forget.
(cont’d)
As a trilingual individual, Alessio attended many prestigious academic institutions, including Choate Rosemary Hall, Northwestern University, and Natural Gourmet Institute. In 2018, he enrolled in Wageningen University and Research Center (Utrecht, Netherlands) to begin pursuing his Master of Science in Agricultural Economics. As a member of Mensa with a photographic memory, Alessio seemed to have no limits on what he could achieve.
Amid all his accomplishments, however, there was another side to Alessio. The first manifestations of his mental health battle began to surface at age 14, leading to his first hospitalization in 2012 and a second hospitalization in 2016. But he continued to persevere.
(cont’d)
In August 2018, the sudden end of a 6-year relationship and finding himself alone in a foreign “home” triggered an emotional breakdown that led to another hospitalization. Alessio was forced to face the realization of his beast and the stigma that follows mental health issues. He felt his own limitations and began to lose hope.
(cont’d)
Even while he suffered, Alessio never lost sight of his vision: to help others in need. After facing the beast for half of his life, Alessio lost his battle. Following Alessio’s death, his mother (and a board of directors) chose to honor Alessio by continuing the promising work he had begun. The time is now to change the shape of mental health.
Alessio was born in Italy, where he lived until the age of 6 when he and his mother Janis moved to New York. He was highly intelligent, both intellectually and emotionally, and showed signs of a bright future from a very young age. Alessio became known for his sense of humor and his booming laugh—something his friends around the world will never forget.
