TO HER FAMILY NEVER HAPPENS TO ANYONE ELSE.
ANYONE ELSE. >> Reporter: WORLD CHAMPION
BOXER MIA ST. JOHN HAS BEEN
FIGHTING IN THE RING ALL HER
LIFE.
LIFE. SHE HAD TWO CHILDREN WITH THE
LATE SOAP OPERA STAR KRISTOFF
ST. JOHN, INCLUDING JULIAN,
THEIR OLDEST SON.
>> HAVING JULIAN WAS THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL THING THAT EVER
HAPPENED TO ME.
>> Reporter: AS A TEENAGER, MIA
SAYS JULIAN CHANGED DRASTICALLY.
>> THERE WAS A SIDE TO HIM THAT
SEEMED VERY DEPRESSED.
>> Reporter: AT 17, HE
EXPERIENCED A PSYCHOTIC BREAK
AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
SCHIZOPHRENIA.
SCHIZOPHRENIA. JULIAN WAS IN AND OUT OF MENTAL
FAES TEASE
FAES TEASE FACILITIES THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS.
>> I WOULD BE ON THE STREETS DAY
AND NIGHT SEARCHING FOR MY SON.
JULIAN, YOU’VE GOT TO COME HOME.
I WOULD FIND HIM IN THE PARKS
HALF-NAKED, COMPLETELY
HALF-NAKED, COMPLETELY DELUSIONAL, NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS
GOING ON.
GOING ON. >> Reporter: MIA’S EARLY 20s,
JULIAN WAS ALSO ADDICTED TO
METH.
METH. IN 2014, AT AGE 24, JULIAN TIED
BY SUICIDE WHILE IN A CALIFORNIA
PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL.
PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. >> I GOT A CALL A FEW HOURS
LATER FROM THE HOSPITAL SAYING
THAT MY SON WAS GONE.
I REMEMBER SCREAMING AT THE TOP
OF MY LUNGS, NO, NO, NO.
I KNEW THEN AT THAT MOMENT THAT
I WAS BORN FOR A PURPOSE.
AND IT WAS NOT TO BEAT THE CRAP
OUT OF ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
>> Reporter: MIA’S FAMILY HAS
HAD A LONG HISTORY WITH MENTAL
ILLNESS AND ADDICTION.
EX
EX HER EX-HUSBAND SUFFERED WITH HIS
OWN STRUGGLES AND MIA SAYS HIS
DEATH CAUSED HER TO LOSE HER OWN
LONG-TERM SOBRIETY.
LONG-TERM SOBRIETY. >> I HAD TO GET SOBER BECAUSE I
FELT LIKE HOW COULD I LEAVE MY
DAUGHTER, HER BROTHER DIES, HER
FATHER DIES.
FATHER DIES. >> Reporter: TODAY MIA HAS
TURNED HER FIGHTING SPIRIT INTO
A CRUSADE FOR ANYONE WHO SUFFERS
FROM MENTAL ILLNESS, ADDICTION,
AND HOMELESSNESS.
AND HOMELESSNESS. >> I AM HERE TO MAKE CHANGE.
I AM HERE TO REFORM.
FOR EVERYONE THAT IS STILL OUT
THERE SUFFERING, I MIGHT HAVE
RETIRED FROM THE RING, BUT I AM
DEFINITELY STILL FIGHTING.
>> MIA ST. JOHN.
MIA, THANK YOU FOR GOING HERE.
LET’S TALK ABOUT JULIAN HERE.
YOU SAY THAT WHEN HE WAS A
TEENAGER THERE WERE SIGNS.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THOSE SIGNS
LOOKING BACK?
LOOKING BACK? >> THERE WERE SIGNS EARLY ON.
I COULD GO WAY BACK TO WHEN HE
WAS A TODDLER.
BUT PROBABLY THE BIGGEST SIGN
WAS THE DEPRESSION, THE
RECLUSIVENESS.
RECLUSIVENESS. HE ONCE HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HE STOPPED
SOCIALIZING.
SOCIALIZING. HE WOULD LOCK HIMSELF IN HIS
ROOM.
ROOM. HE WAS AGITATED A LOT.
AND NO LONGER REALLY SHOWED
EMOTION.
EMOTION. VERY APATHETIC IT SEEMED LIKE.
SO I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG,
BUT I ALSO HAVE A DEGREE IN
PSYCHOLOGY.
PSYCHOLOGY. AND SO I REMEMBERED FROM MY
COLLEGE DAYS READING ABOUT ITTHE
ILLNESSES.
ILLNESSES. >> LOOKING BACK, WAS THERE AN
INCIDENT, WAS THERE A SINGLE
EVENT MAYBE THAT YOU COULD THINK
BACK ON THAT MAYBE ACTED AS AN
IMPETUS, OR WAS IT A GRADUAL
DECLINE?
DECLINE? >> YEAH, IT WAS DEFINITELY
GRADUAL, AND IT WAS ALL LEADING
UP TO A PSYCHOTIC BREAK WHICH
HAPPENED AT ABOUT 17 YEARS OLD,
AND THAT’S ABOUT THE NORMAL AGE,
IS LATE TEENS/EARLY 20s.
THAT’S WHY THEY CANNOT DIAGNOSE
A SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS UNTIL
THEY HAVE HIT THAT AGE.
>> I THINK WHAT’S HARD ABOUT
THIS IS, THERE ARE SO MANY
PEOPLE THAT CAN RELATE TO YOUR
STORY, AND YOU ARE THE PARENTS.
KRISTOFF, YOU WERE GREAT PARENTS
DOING EVERYTHING YOU COULD.
IT’S NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK
SO MANY PEOPLE THINK IT’S NOT
LIKE HE WAS OUT ON HIS OWN.
YOU WERE LOOKING FOR HIM,
TRYING.
TRYING. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT KRISTOFF, I
READ HOW HE BLAMED HIMSELF A
LITTLE BIT.
LITTLE BIT. WHAT MORE COULD YOU HAVE DONE?
I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS DID
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> WE REALLY DID.
AND WHAT PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND
IS YOU CANNOT PREVENT MENTAL
ILLNESS, YOU KNOW?
>> DID HE BLAME HIMSELF?
>> DEFINITELY, BECAUSE KRISTOFF
WAS THE MAN OF THE FAMILY AND
HE -- OUR CULTURE DOES NOT
REALLY ACCEPT MENTAL ILLNESS.
THE LATINOS DON’T.
A LOT OF THE BLACK FAMILIES
DON’T.
DON’T. SO HE WAS RAISED IN THAT, YOU
KNOW, ENVIRONMENT WHERE IT’S,
YOU KNOW, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND
SHAPE UP, CHEER UP, YOU KNOW?
>> WHICH IS WHY IT’S SO GOOD
THAT YOU ARE HERE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AND I WANT PARENTS TO KNOW THAT
THE BIGGEST THING YOU CAN DO IS
EDUCATE YOURSELF.
EDUCATE YOURSELF. LEARN ABOUT THESE ILLNESSES.
WHAT IF ALL THESE SHOOTERS THAT
HAVE SUFFERED FROM
SCHIZOPHRENIA, BIPOLAR, THE
ARIZONA SHOOTER, NEWTON,
COLUMBINE, WHAT IF THOSE PARENTS
WERE EDUCATED?
WERE EDUCATED? WHAT IF THE KIDS WERE EDUCATED?
WHAT IF WE KNEW AHEAD OF TIME?
COULD WE HAVE STOPPED A TRAGEDY?
>> AFTER ALL OF THESE TRAGEDIES
THAT HAPPENED, YOU SAY THIS IS
WHAT YOU WERE BORN TO DO, IS NOW
TO USE YOUR PLATFORM TO RAISE
AWARENESS.
AWARENESS. YOU HAVE TURNED JULIAN’S ART
STUDIO INTO A PLACE?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> FOR THE HOMELESS?
>> YES, IT’S JUST AMAZING HOW MY
WHOLE LIFE I THOUGHT FIGHTING
WAS ALL I EVER WANTED WAS TO WIN
CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS AND THAT
WAS -- I WANTED TO BE ROCKY
BALBOA.
BALBOA. WHAT I REALIZED LATER AFTER MY
SON PASSED WAS BOXING WAS NOT
SIGNIFICANT AT ALL.
MY PURPOSE WAS THIS.
WAS MENTAL HEALTH AND GETTING
PEOPLE HELP.
PEOPLE HELP. AND THAT’S WHAT I WAS BORN TO
DO.
DO. AND AFTER MY SON PASSED, HE WAS
A BRILLIANT ARTIST, AND A LOT OF
THEM TEND TO BE REALLY GOOD
ARTISTS.
ARTISTS. I MEAN, HE WAS AT THE LAGUNA
GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART.
NEVER SOLD ORANGES.
HE
HE ORIGINALS.
ORIGINALS. I TURNED HIS STUDIO INTO A FREE
CENTER FOR EVERYONE THAT SUFFERS
FROM ADDICTION, MENTAL ILLNESS,
HOMELESSNESS.
HOMELESSNESS. WE HAVE YOGA.
WE HAVE MEDITATION.
WE HAVE TOX
HAVE
HAVE HAVE BOKS /* /* WE HAVE BOXING
ALL FREE.
ALL FREE. >> KRISTOFF, YOU MENTIONED HIS
DEATH AND HOW THAT AFFECTED YOU
AND YOUR BATTLE WITH SOBRIETY.
ARE YOU SOBER NOW?
>> SOBER NOW.
STILL STRUGGLING.
STILL STRUGGLING. BUT I AM IN THERAPY.
I AM GETTING HELP.
KRISTOFF’S DEATH WAS EXTREMELY
HARD FOR ME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A
LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT -- I’M
SORRY.
SORRY. >> IT’S OKAY.
>> HE REMAINED, YOU KNOW, ONE OF
MY BEST FRIENDS TO THE DAY HE
PASSED.
PASSED. ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST, YOU
KNOW, YEAR OF HIS LIFE WHERE WE,
THE FAMILY REALLY HAD TO GET
TOGETHER AND JUST TAKE CARE OF
HIM.
HIM. MAKE SURE THAT HE GOT TO WORK.
IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT IT WAS A
VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR ME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE ARE PRAYING FOR YOU.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR
STORY.
STORY. >> A LOT OF GOOD THIS MORNING.
>> THE MIA ST. JOHN FOUNDATION
DOT-ORG TO FIND ONE OF MY
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS. >> MIA ST. JOHN FOUNDATION
DOT-ORG.
DOT-ORG. ALL WEEK LONG NBC NEWS FOCUSING
ON MENTAL HEALTH AND YOUNG
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. IT’S OUR SERIES CALLED ""KIDS
UNDER PRESSURE.""
UNDER PRESSURE."" YOU CAN HEAD TO TODAY.COM/THIRD