Hazel Gaddes

Forum Manager

Hazel Gaddes was born and raised in England. After working in the mental health field as a psychiatric nurse, she spent time traveling in Europe and Canada. It was there that she met her husband, Steve. They married and had two children.

In 2011, Steve died by suicide. They had been together 20 years. Their children were 17 and 13. Hazel was denied counseling by the local social services agency and could not find a local support group. She searched online and found the Alliance of Hope, where she was given hope and encouragement by long-term survivors. She credits the Alliance of Hope Community Forum with saving her sanity and providing her the safe and healing haven she so desperately needed.

With time and healing, Hazel felt it was time to pay it forward. In 2013, she became a forum moderator. Empowered by her experience as a psychiatric nurse, Hazel is passionate about her mission to support fellow survivors and help them see that they can and will go beyond just surviving. That is indeed possible to return to a life which contains happiness and joy.

Hazel loves red wine and chocolate … and dogs. She’s crazy about dogs. She has a spectacular singing voice and flawless dance moves. (That’s not really true, but she doesn’t care and sings and dances regardless. It’s not pretty, but as her father says: “God loves a trier”). Her favorite saying is: Fall down seven times, stand up eight.