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John,
In 2008, my former wife, Cindy, and I gave a TV interview to share our story – not about the glory days of football but about the pain of my mental health struggles and their effect on our marriage. It was uncomfortable to bare our souls like that. Mental illness carried more of a stigma back then. It was hard to admit you needed help and even harder to get it. Cindy helped me through the hardest time of my life. Because our story ultimately was one of healing, forgiveness and redemption, I knew that if we came forward, we could convince others that there is no shame in asking for help. I hoped we would help people who were struggling and maybe even save a few lives. I think we did. That interview was part of my life's mission to advocate for mental health awareness and treatment. I wrote a book about my experience – every painful detail. I visited military bases around the world to deliver the message that seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder isn't a sign of weakness but of self-awareness and strength. I met with youth groups and mental health organizations. I continue to do everything I can to end the stigma. I always say I would much rather listen to a friend talk about his struggles than go to his funeral. I've had a simple message for our troops, veterans, and others struggling with mental health: there's no shame in asking for help. I needed help, and I asked for it. But now that I'm running for office, my struggle has become the subject of a nasty and dishonest attack ad. A group supporting our opponent and funded by Democrats has placed an advertising buy attacking me. The ad is titled "The Real Herschel Walker," but its producers are the ones hiding something: that I took accountability for my actions and got treatment, that she gave this interview because I asked her to, and that we did this and other interviews together. The ad makers took something designed to do good and turned it into something evil, which will harm innocent people. 
Democrats have already spent over $25 million on false attack ads, and that number is growing EACH DAY. Every hour that Democrats attack me without our campaign having the ability to refute their lies with our own ads, we're at a tremendous disadvantage. I need your help to combat their vulgar, gutless attacks against me. Please donate to our media fund right now so we can refute the lies Democrats are peddling and set the record straight. With high gasoline prices, skyrocketing inflation, increasing taxes, and rising crime at the forefront of voters' minds, it's easy to see why my opponents don't want to talk about the issues. They are desperate enough to crawl into the gutter with false attacks against me personally. The silver lining of this disgusting attack is that it gives me another opportunity to highlight the importance of mental health awareness and treatment. If you're suffering, know that your life has value. You aren't alone. And I will never stop fighting for you. Thanks,  Herschel Walker P.S. The topic of mental health is so important to me that I recently wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal with much of the information contained in this email. In spite of the attacks, I will never stop my efforts to help others.
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