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After losing a loved one, Newburgh resident Isabel Rojas is using her tragedy to shine a light on mental health awareness.
Rojas is a candle maker. Each day, she works with wax, shaping it into something beautiful.
Each candle is handmade, a labor of love that came out of personal tragedy. Her brother Jonathan took his own life in May 2020.
“After losing Jonathan – which was a huge loss, was just devastating – I have to say he just broke me into a million pieces,” said Rojas.
Through her grief, Rojas worked to find purpose despite her pain, because she knew she was not alone. She started her company called “Healing Looks Great on You.”
“My motivation was to start a product that encouraged self-care,” said Rojas. “Because when we’re not OK up here, nothing else is OK … I knew too well how many people were affected by mental health, how many people struggled with mental illness, and was silent about it because of the shame that comes with it.”
The company became a way to cope and heal for Rojas.
“To be honest, I’ve cried over these candles creating them,” said Rojas.
So far, her candles have been sold across the state and online.
“I feel him with me. I have a picture of him down here. He is my biggest inspiration. But I have to honestly say I feel his presence,” said Rojas.
Rojas will be raising money for Mental Health Awareness Month in May, and 50% of the proceeds from her candle line will be given in donated self-care bags to a psychiatric hospital in the Bronx.
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