ABOUT ME
Hi, I’m Taylor Aoki Hom — a 16-year-old founder of The Flourish Hope Project. I currently live in both Napa and San Mateo, California, and I’m passionate about youth mental health, medical care access, and making a difference in the lives of others.
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The Flourish Hope Project was born from a deep desire to support adolescents navigating serious medical and emotional challenges. Inspired by stories like Five Feet Apart, I felt called to do something — even if small — that could offer hope, comfort, and advocacy to hospitalized teens and those struggling silently with mental health.
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As a teenager myself, I’ve seen firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate the complexities of growing up — and how powerful it can be when someone, even a stranger, shows they care. Through this project, I aim to be that someone.
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MY STORY
The inspiration behind The Flourish Hope Project is both personal and purposeful.
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Like many others, I witnessed the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic had on youth mental health. Since 2020, rates of depression and anxiety among adolescents have skyrocketed — with the CDC reporting that more than 4 in 10 U.S. teens felt "persistently sad or hopeless" in 2021, and nearly 1 in 5 had seriously considered suicide.
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I’ve experienced this myself. Since 7th grade, I’ve faced growing symptoms of depression, separation anxiety, and social anxiety. At a time in life when we’re supposed to be finding our place in the world, many young people — including me — are simply trying to survive emotionally. These struggles have affected not only my personal well-being but also some of the most important relationships I’ve built and, at times, lost.
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And what’s often misunderstood — even by other teens — is that these struggles are not a choice. They are real, valid medical conditions that need science-backed treatment and support.
One of the most difficult moments in a young person’s life is reaching out for help. It takes an incredible amount of courage. And yet, many are denied access to therapy, medication, or emotional support due to financial barriers.
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And alongside the mental health crisis, young people battling chronic and terminal illnesses face equally devastating challenges. Childhood cancer, for example, is the leading cause of death by disease in children under 15 in the U.S. — yet less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget goes toward pediatric cancer research. Conditions like cystic fibrosis, pediatric brain tumors, and rare genetic disorders often lack not only adequate treatment options, but also the attention and funding they deserve.
The Flourish Hope Project exists because no young person should feel invisible in their pain — whether it’s emotional, physical, or both. Every teen deserves access to care, compassion, and the resources they need to truly heal.