Pete's Story

Joel and Robin Vermaat are life-long residents of the Southern Tier, spending the last 35 years in Port Crane.  Their son Peter and daughter Jennifer are graduates of Chenango Forks Central Schools. 

Peter’s life was cut short at just 23 years of age, when he died by suicide on December 6, 2009, after a long and difficult battle with Bipolar 1 Disorder. In the fall of 2011, Joel and Robin presented ‘Pete's Story' for the first time at Chenango Forks. The goal of ‘Pete’s Story’ is to raise awareness and understanding about bipolar disorder and the stigma of mental illness, by sharing the experiences of Pete’s life, and his struggle.

For nearly 12 years, ‘Pete's Story’ has been shared with students in several area school districts and colleges, workshops for school counselors and social workers, and numerous community events.

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