Many years ago, Mary-Lindsay and Margaret Galvin made a courageous decision to publicly share their family’s deeply personal story. Their aim was to confront and diminish the pervasive stigma surrounding schizophrenia and mental illness, offering a beacon of hope to families grappling with similar challenges. They entrusted journalist Bob Kolker to articulate their experiences, a partnership that blossomed beyond expectations when their story became the New York Times bestselling book, Hidden Valley Road.
Robert Kolker’s Hidden Valley Road is not just a bestseller; it is a cultural phenomenon. It achieved instant #1 New York Times bestseller status, was selected for Oprah’s Book Club, and garnered recognition as a top book of the year by numerous prestigious publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Slate. It was also celebrated by NPR, the Boston Globe, the New York Post, Amazon, People magazine as the #1 book of the year, and even recognized as one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2020. The profound impact of their narrative has spurred significant interest in adapting their story into a documentary and mini-series. The Galvin sisters envision these adaptations as powerful platforms to broaden and deepen the conversation around mental illness, enabling countless others to learn and draw strength from their family’s journey and resilience in the face of adversity.
However, while their shared story has resonated widely and offered solace to many, the Galvin family remains deeply committed to supporting their own. Tragically, their brothers who lived with schizophrenia, Matthew, Donald, and Peter, have faced immense personal struggles, even amidst the book’s success. To honor Donald and Peter (who have since passed) and to provide ongoing support for Matthew, the family established the Galvin Family Trust (GFT), a Special Needs Trust.
The core mission of the GFT is to enhance the quality of life and care for each of their brothers affected by schizophrenia. It seeks to alleviate the substantial and persistent financial strain the family has borne over the years in their pursuit of comprehensive long-term care for their loved ones.
Understanding the constraints of their brothers’ existing disability benefits ($600-700 monthly SSDI, primarily allocated to cover basic room and board in care facilities), the GFT is designed to supplement these provisions. The Trust will fund specific resources, experiences, and opportunities aimed at enriching their lives, fostering a sense of security, and ensuring their remaining days are lived with greater dignity and purpose.
The Galvin family is now seeking financial contributions to fortify the GFT, allowing Matthew to directly benefit from the widespread acclaim of Hidden Valley Road and any future successes stemming from the documentary or mini-series adaptations. All funds donated to the GFT will be exclusively dedicated to improving the daily lives and overall well-being of their brothers living with schizophrenia. Looking ahead, any resources remaining in the Trust after their brothers’ passing will be thoughtfully redirected to organizations dedicated to supporting family caregivers of individuals with serious mental illness.
In her ongoing commitment to advocacy, Lindsay Galvin has recently joined the Board of Directors of both the Henry Amador Center on Anosognosia and the Denver Mental Health Centers. The Galvin family remains steadfast in their hope to leverage the transformative power of their story to effect positive change in the lives of others touched by mental illness, fostering greater understanding, compassion, and effective support systems.
