It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re honored to share a local story that is heartbreaking, eye-opening, and a powerful reminder of how far a mother will go to get her child what they need. Sometimes it takes a community—and as Maggie Diemer shows us, that’s more than okay.
This week’s Meet a Mom is a powerful one. 💚 Maggie Diemer, a Grand Ledge mom of four, is courageously opening up about her family’s deeply personal mental health journey to raise awareness, advocate for others, and push for real change.
From navigating a broken insurance system to flying her son across the country for life-saving care, Maggie is sharing what too many families are quietly facing.
Her strength is inspiring, her honesty is raw, and her story is one every parent should read.
Welcome to Greater Lansing Area Moms, Maggie!
Maggie, please introduce yourself to Greater Lansing Area Moms.
My name is Maggie Diemer. grew up in West Lansing, Michigan with my mom, dad, and younger sister. I attended Grand Ledge Public School from Kindergarten through High School and I currently reside in Grand Ledge with my husband and 4 sons.
How did you and your husband meet? People love hearing stories! 🙂
I met John my senior year of high school. We sat next to each other in Civics class and immediately hit it off. When we met, I was at a particularly low point. Due to my choices and those of others, I was a broken individual, leaning heavily on drugs and alcohol to numb my pain. Men had misused me and broken my trust, and I never thought I’d trust a man again. But because of John and his faithful love and witness, things started to change. One month before my 18th birthday, I experienced new life through a relationship with Jesus Christ, and was filled with joy and peace like I’d never known before.
One year later, John and I were engaged, and one year after that, we were married.
How old are your children?
We have four sons, ages 15, 12, 8, and 7.
It is the hardest job we’ll always love – what would you say is the absolute best thing about being a mom?
Their joy. Seeing my kids happy makes me happy.
What is a piece of advice for new moms you wish you would have known when you were a new mom?
To the mom of a child with a mental health disorder: It’s not your fault. This does not mean we are not accountable for our actions, but I personally wish I would have stopped blaming myself sooner. Nothing I did or didn’t do caused it, and nothing I do or don’t do will eliminate it. Just like a physical disability, my child will have to learn to navigate this world, and it will be challenging. But my job is to be their greatest supporter and strongest advocate, and to love them through it all.
Mind sharing a mom trick another mom will be happy to learn?
There’s this thing called the “Mom Tax.” It entitles you to first dibs on all chocolate that gets brought into the home.
Mental Health Awareness Month and we appreciate you sharing more with us to share with others – What does this month mean to you as a mom who’s walked such a personal journey in this space?
I learned early about mental illness through my father who, as a Vietnam veteran, struggled with PTSD and debilitating depression. Later I would watch and several close family members struggle with substance abuse disorders. These things were all incredibly difficult, but nothing compared to what I’ve been through as the mother of a child with mental health illness.
Our 12 year old son has been at a residential treatment center since August 2024. Before that, our life was full of chaos and crises. His diagnoses include DMDD (a mood disorder), ADHD, High functioning Autism, and multiple learning disabilities. We started professional counseling and medication at age 9, and added more and more therapies as the years progressed, yet his symptoms continued increasing in severity. Despite all our efforts, by age 11 it was clear that he needed something more intensive. His “episodes” would become dangerous to himself and the rest of our family. He was refusing to go to school and pushing away all the therapies we were offering.
As his mother, I wanted so badly to be the one to help him, and bringing him out west for inpatient residential treatment was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. Yet today I rejoice that although he’s not home yet, he has made tremendous progress. The intensive help he is receiving has been successful to help him understand his struggles and know how to utilize the various means of help available to him.
You’ve been incredibly open about your son’s story. What has helped you stay grounded during the hardest moments?
I couldn’t have done the things I’ve done without supernatural strength. God has equipped me with His grace to walk this journey. I have never felt more weak and depleted, but He has been my endless source of peace and hope. I also have leaned heavily on my community. I’ve had to hold tight to a few close friends who understood and wouldn’t make me feel judged. My husband and I made a commitment to reconnect more deeply with our church community. I found Facebook groups for parents of kids with the same diagnoses, and all these things helped me to not feel so alone.
What’s something about your son you’d love others to know—beyond the challenges? What lights him up during your visits now?
I want others to know that my son is a soft-hearted, empathetic child. He experiences life more intensely than most and his efforts to push people away were not out of hatred, but self-preservation. He is making remarkable progress, and we see him coming to life again. He is witty and funny, and can always make people laugh. He notices when people are hurting, and hurts for them. He loves animals. We bring his service dog, Max with us each time we visit, and Max lights him up like nothing else.
What’s one thing you’ve learned about children’s mental health that you think every parent should hear?
It is affecting our kids now more than ever, and it’s important to get educated, and if necessary, get help. The older our kids get, the more resistant they get to interventions, so don’t delay seeking out professional help if you have a struggling child. Sadly, there is a great shortage of professionals and resources, so start early because the process of actually getting help will be more lengthy than you expect.
Equally important, get help for yourself. If you are not seeing a counselor, start. If you have been avoiding talking to your doctor about your own mental health struggles, do not put it off any longer. Our kids need us to be strong if we’re going to be able to help them.
You’ve brought a spotlight to the financial burden families face while seeking life-saving care. What do you hope changes in the future?
We are a middle class family, and my husband has good insurance through his employer. However, despite numerous appeals, our insurance continues to refuse to pay for our son’s treatment, and all the costs have come out of our pockets. If it weren’t for the amazing generosity of friends, families, and strangers donating to our GoFundMe page, we would not have been able to keep our son where he is at. We have exhausted all our resources, and it shouldn’t be this way.
This journey has opened our eyes to an epidemic problem that is not unique to us. In Michigan in particular, we have a devastating shortage of resources. There were no local treatment centers for our son to go to. Due to his young age and specific needs, we had to fly him thousands of miles away to get him the help he needed.
Bottom line: We need more residential treatment centers, and we need insurance to pay for them. We need facilities specific to younger children, so that they are not placed with teens, whose needs and struggles are different from theirs. When a child is putting themselves and their family in harm’s way, we need short term and long term places they can go that will be therapeutic and not punitive or traumatic. It is a sad reality that families in Michigan are regularly having to return home from local emergency rooms with their dangerously dysregulated child, because there is simply nowhere for them to go.
This happened to us, and it’s heart-breaking.
How can local communities better show up for families navigating long-term mental health challenges?
Local communities can seek out ways to lighten the load for these families, even if it’s simply bringing a meal or taking a child out for a special outing so the caregivers can have some respite. Instead of trying to “fix” the child’s mental health struggles through advice such as supplements, diets, etc., they can seek to be a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. They will need to be proactive, as these families don’t have a lot of capacity, and asking for help might feel like more than they can handle. Instead of asking, “How can I help?”, they can say something like, “I’m bringing you a meal this week. Would you like it Thursday or Friday?”
What message would you give to a parent who feels alone or overwhelmed by their child’s mental health needs?
It is overwhelming, but you are not alone. A lot of people don’t understand, but some do, and those are the ones you need to keep extra close. Remember that your child’s needs demand an extra amount of energy from you, so you are going to need extra times of rest and renewal so you don’t burn out. Do not feel guilty about doing something for you. Make it a part of your routine, and know that taking care of yourself is one of the most loving things you can do for your child.
When you’re not advocating or managing appointments and logistics, what brings you comfort or joy?
Writing is my therapy and my ministry. I post regularly on my Facebook page called The Grateful Overcomer, in hopes that I can encourage others who might be struggling. I also have a couple of hobbies that I just love. One is triathlons and the other is dog training. I have been a Puppy Raiser for Canines for Change for the past 3 years and am currently training my 6th goldendoodle puppy.
Switching gears and looking to summer. Do you have any plans?
I have a couple of triathlons coming up, as well as a Tough Mudder. Our family will be travelling out west to visit our son who is in treatment. We haven’t been together as a family since our Christmas visit, so I am really looking forward to this.
Here are a couple questions to get to know you better 🙂
And since we mentioned it, we thought we would jump into a summer-themed “This or That” since it is right around the corner!
💦 Lake day or pool day? Pool
🍦 Ice cream cone or popsicle? Ice Cream
🔥 Campfire s’mores or backyard BBQ? BBQ
🩴 Flip flops or sneakers all summer long? Flip flops
☕️ Sunrise coffee or sunset walk? Coffee
🏖️ Beach read or binge-worthy show? Beach read
🚗 Road trip or staycation? Road trip
🍔 Dogs or burgers? Burgers
😎 Sunglasses or sunhat? Sunglasses
🎆 Fireworks or parade? Fireworks
We were introduced to Maggie Diemer by a former teacher of one of Christine’s children. The message read: “I’ve noticed that your organization—and The Local Moms Network as a whole—not only highlights local events, but also brings attention to issues moms are facing. There’s a family I know struggling to pay for residential mental health treatment for their twelve-year-old son.”
After a few texts, Zoom calls, and follow-up emails, we’re honored to share Maggie Diemer’s story with you.
As part of The Local Moms Network, we believe in more than sharing family fun and community events—we believe in using our platform for good, to connect, support, and amplify the voices of local moms. Their tagline, #givingmomsthegiftoftime, reflects exactly that.
We hope that by sharing Maggie’s story, we not only support her family, but also raise awareness around the urgent need for more accessible pediatric mental health resources. Especially when life-saving treatment isn’t available locally.
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To contact Maggie Diemer or learn more, visit her Facebook Page, the Grateful Overcomer
And if you are interested in assisting the Diemer family or know someone who may be, more information and updates can be found on their GoFundMe fundraiser here.
Meet a Mom Sponsor information
Today’s Meet a Mom featuring Maggie Diemer was brought to you by Boji Group. Boji Group specializes in Private-Public Partnerships, has offices in both Lansing and Birmingham and is headquartered in downtown Lansing.
Are you interested or know of someone who would make a great GLAMoms Meet a Mom?
Send a message here and we will take it from there!
*photos provided by Maggie Diemer
