Worried about her 16-year-old daughter Tomia, Shelton started trying in August to find a therapist for her daughter to talk to, despite the stigma. “That is something that I've seen quite often in African American communities. You don't reach out for help, and I didn't want to make that same mistake,” Shelton said, but she acknowledges the process was frustrating. It’s definitely hard. Months, months to get in just to just to talk to someone.” Shelton asked extended family to check in on Tomia and sought help from her counselors at Alan B. Shepard High School in Palos Heights.