The Story Behind the MFA Sunshine Logo

and #37 and #38

The inspiration for MFA came from Abby’s friends in the days, months, and years following her loss. Abby’s friends showed such character and strength of spirit in the way they came together for each other. The determination shown by all those young people who spoke up about the unspeakable and took action together led to MFA's call to action -- “Inspiring a Mental Health Revolution…One Friend at a Time!”

Abby was such a ray of sunshine to everyone she interacted with, and we just knew we wanted to use a sun in the design of the logo for MFA.

During the start-up phase of the organization, Abby's friend Jill sent a special photograph. Jill explained that Abby had come over after school one day to cheer Jill up when she was sad. Abby decided to paint a sunshine on Jill's hand and for some reason Jill took a picture of it and kept it.

Jill found the picture a few years later and went to an artist who turned it into a tattoo for her. She shared that every time she looks at that sunshine that Abby painted, it brings her much happiness. We knew right away that this would be our logo for My Friend Abby and an integral part of the MFA brand! This painting has become the symbol for all of us to #37HelpOthersInABigWay and #38LiveAHappyLife, two items in an aspirational list Abby wrote for a class assignment the day before she died.

Jim McCaffrey, Abby’s teacher, read her entire aspirational list and recorded it on YouTube as a tribute poem to Abby entitled "Your Culminating Assignment." You can listen to it here complete with Jim’s commentaries.