MAHOMET, IL (Chambana Today) – A central Illinois man literally walked across the state of Illinois to raise awareness and funding for a not-for-profit, It’s in Your Head. The Danville-based group provides comprehensive mental, emotional, social, and physical health support through evidence-based practices to help people lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. Michael Kasper ran across the entire state of Illinois, with a stop in Champaign, to raise funding and awareness for the cause. It was his mission because of his own struggles with mental health and the support he received from going to the classes offered at It’s in Your Head.

The owner of It’s in Your Head, Hunter LaFave, grew up in Danville and left immediately after high school to begin a career as a deep-sea diver. Towards the end of his 11-year career in the oilfield as a diver and deck foreman, he lost many of his close friends to suicide, overdoses, and other reasons. He began dealing with depression, anxiety attacks, and addiction. Then in 2017 he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. Between 40 rounds of chemotherapy, 28 rounds of radiation, and 7 surgeries, he took a trip to Thailand to clear his head and quickly became aware of the importance of self-care.

He stumbled upon breathwork, and it changed everything for him. After he finished treatment, he returned back to East Asia to heal himself physically, mentally, and emotionally. He returned home in the fall of 2021 to share what helped him heal and wanted to help others on their journey to health and happiness. It’s In Your Head started as a means to provide mental and emotional health support to others going through cancer treatment. 

LaFave explained why he feels it’s his life’s mission to help others who feel lost. “It’s very important to me to bring these techniques and methods to those who are really struggling. Often times the people or organizations we serve do not have the funding to cover costs and we don’t want that to stand in the way of them receiving the information we have to share. We believe everyone deserves the ability to understand how to best take care of themselves regardless of how much money they have.”

Michael Kasper helped raise $13,002 for the mission and the people Hunter LaFave aims to help through his programs.