Medical Crisis vs. Mental Health Crisis

We have a family in our church community struggling with the crisis of a child with a brain tumor. It is a horrible hand to have to play - scary, exhausting, all-encompassing. As we try to love and support our friends through this challenge, it occured to me just how much more "acceptable"  it is in our society to rally around individuals experiencing a  medical issue as compared to a mental health issue. It is easy to create Facebook support pages, send treats and gifts of love and healing and caring to the Boston Childrens Hospital. Everyone understands and everyone wants to help. Nobody knows how to respond to our family (and others like us) who are working hard to support a child with a serious mental health issue. Sending flowers and treats to the Brattleboro Retreat or Devereux is just not something that is done. Visiting is often impossible or at least very challenging because nobody knows just what state of mind the patient is going to be in when the visit day arrives. Other church families are tentative about allowing their children to contact our teen because they don't want them exposed to suicidal ideation and cutting. It is so much more isolating.. and really, sadly, still a source of discrimination in 21st Century America. I wouldn't change anything about the level of support we are able to offer our friend's child during her medical crisis. If honest though, I do have to admit that I wish there was a similar level of support and positive energy that could be generated for our struggling child.