Ken Barlow(pictured right), the KSTP meteorologist who revealed his struggle with bipolar disorder for the first time in October, has announced he’s starting a non-profit with David Wellstone (pictured left), the son of the late Senator Paul Wellstone, to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness.
In October, the meteorologist for the Minneapolis ABC affiliate appeared on “Almanac”, a show airing on the local PBS station KTCA, to talk about his struggles with mental illness. “We have to stop hiding. There is nothing to be ashamed of,” Barlow told the hosts.
Barlow said he met Wellstone during this year’s National Alliance on Mental Illness walk. Wellstone suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression after the plane crash that killed his father Paul, mother Sheila and sister Marcia.
Those interested in getting involved can check out the organization’s website and facebook page. Click here to view the website. Click here to view the facebook page.
Barlow has been reporting on weather for more than 20 years and has also worked at WBZ in Boston and KXTV in Sacramento, CA.
Here’s the interview on the PBS show “Almanac”: