After all the years of drug abuse, the hospitalizations and homelessness, the outbursts that spoiled family holidays and left everyone in tears, the Martyn family thought about giving up on Andrew. Even though they knew his mental illness wasn’t his fault, the frustration and seemingly endless search for treatments grew exhausting.
“His bipolar disorder, the personality disorder, the drug addiction — we spent years trying to help Andy,” recalls older brother Kevin, who once paid $25,000 for a month of private care in Colorado for Andrew, only to have him flee back to Seattle within three weeks.
Once again, Kevin and his family tried to care for Andrew, letting him live with them and connecting him to various community and private behavioral health resources. Then, they found Sound.
“It was in the early 2000s and Andy had really started to spiral. No one else would take him,” Kevin explains. “Sound took him into their outpatient clinic, got him to go to counseling sessions, stabilized his meds and found housing for him.
“Their patience, their tolerance, meeting with the family and giving us feedback, they really helped Andy and our family. Sound just never said No.”
In recognition of Sound’s efforts to help his brother, Kevin began donating generously to support the organization, both personally and through a family foundation he established.
“Sound has thousands of Andys they’re trying to keep alive and keep off the streets and get them jobs and help them however they can,” he states. “It’s all about compassion. Sound’s motives are purely centered around taking care of clients with compassion.”
Despite the care Andrew received from his family and from Sound, the years of addiction finally took their ultimate toll. He died of heart failure in 2016 at the age of 48.
“Sound was instrumental in helping us get through our time with Andrew,” says Kevin. “I’ll always be grateful.”