Finalist Miss Teen Canada 2023

Hello,

I introduce myself, my name is Nia, I am 17 years old. I am originally from China and a Canadian citizen since my adoption when I was 8 months old. I am now a communication student in CEGEP.

We all have a different story that makes us who we are. For me it was the fight to live following an intrauterine vascular-cerebral accident. I was not to speak or walk. The first years of my life were programmed through my medical appointments.

I was bullied for several years, I understood that the best way out of this suffering was to tell someone. I had the opportunity to tell my story for 3 years to more than 10,000 young people in Quebec thanks to conferences in schools.

For more than a year, I have been involved in a cause that is very close to my heart, suicide prevention. Like many young people, I had to fight hard against myself to stay alive. This subject is often taboo, it also raises questions, it is a shocking subject.
It is very important to talk about suicidal thoughts when you have them, because that is how you will be helped.

Suicide prevention is a health issue that requires everyone’s participation. Today I have the chance to talk about it, to proudly say that I survived this difficult period.
Help me share my voice to raise awareness, so that we can help as many people as possible, help young people rediscover a taste for life.
Because talking about it can change everything.