Rogers Behavioral Health recently received a very personal donation from someone who once walked through our doors seeking mental health recovery. This time she returned, not as a patient, but as a symbol of resilience and deep thankfulness.
When Abigayle arrived at the greenhouse on Rogers’ Oconomowoc campus, she had a smile on her face and a vehicle overflowing with flora, herbs, and seedlings. Each plant was carefully nestled inside either a compostable toilet paper roll, a repurposed Keurig K-Cup, or a pot donated by a local greenhouse. This form of delivery was meant to serve as a simple reminder of our connection and responsibility to the Earth, our communities, and our creative ideas—vessels filled with intention, love, and purpose at their heart.
The donation stemmed from the Electric Forest Wish Machine, a philanthropic program offered by the Electric Forest music festival in Rothbury, Michigan, which turns good deeds into unforgettable experiences.
Abigayle wrote her application to the Wish Machine while still within the walls of our treatment center, anticipating her discharge. In her application, she wrote that she would donate sprouting plants to Rogers as a symbol of growth. In return, she asked Electric Forest for the opportunity to complete her healing and celebrate her love for music, dancing, and art with tickets to the 2025 festival.
“Reciprocity seems to be where the magic happens,” Abigayle remarked. “That being said, I would like to give back to the place that helped me get life flowing again and to the people who gave me a sense of authentic belonging. By donating sprouting plants in recycled materials to patients and staff at Rogers Behavioral Health, I hope to demonstrate a sustainable practice that assists nature in being a source of light for those finding their way out of the dark.”
Sure enough, Abigayle’s wish was granted.
As she selected which plants to donate, her heart was filled with the story each one told: Milkweed symbolizes transformation, herbs are meant for tea to help soothe the spirit, and flowers are intended to lift heavy hearts. Some of the seedlings are for patients to nurture as part of their own recovery journeys, while others are meant to support the staff members who work toward progress every day.
Being intune with and supporting nature is not only personal for Abigayle—it’s intellectual. It’s her calling in life. She received her Master of Research in Psychology and Cognitive Science from the Altered States of Consciousness Lab at Macquarie University, where she completed her thesis on how altered states—such as those elicited by music, movement, and nature—bring us closer to the Earth, to each other, and to ourselves.
“Taking care of plants has saved my life twice,” she shares. “It reminds me that, like them, we also need the right conditions to grow and thrive—love, attention, sunlight, water, as well as appropriate nutrients and environments. When we properly care for the world around us, we care for ourselves simultaneously.”
Abigayle is now in the process of starting her PhD, becoming certified in massage therapy, interning with a holistic healing group in Oconomowoc, and launching a research and harm reduction organization called Altered Mates. Through these authentic expressions of her values, she hopes to advocate for extraordinary realms of science, sustainability, mind-body-soul work, and ultimately peace, harmony, and love on Earth.
Through it all, she plans to embrace rest and celebration—gardening, tending to her home, practicing self-care, dancing, creating, sharing memories with loved ones, inspiring and preparing for future generations, all while marveling at the profound beauty this world has to offer.
She credits it all to the impact of her father’s passing and his steadfast belief in the Force. As she puts it, “I could have never done it alone.”
To Abigayle—thank you. Your gift is a beautiful reminder that healing doesn’t always look the same. Sometimes it’s watching a flower bloom, sharing a cup of herbal tea, or feeling the quiet whisper of hope from a seed gently placed in one’s hand. It’s also knowing there are people, places, and organizations progressing every day to be the change we all hope to see in the world.
Your kindness will continue to grow – in our hearts and throughout the campus at Rogers.
This donation is made possible thanks to the following organizations:
The Herbal Key Apothecary
Electric Forest
Bibel’s True Value
Garden Gate Nursery and Landscaping
Altered Mates
