Mar 2, 2022 4 min read

Caileigh Nutter knows life can be tough, and it has been for her at times.

The story of her struggles and how’s she dealt with them will be seen on a national stage.

The senior nursing student at Waynesburg University recently was interviewed by Kate Snow of NBC news for an upcoming segment on “The Today Show.”

The topic is dealing with mental health and anxiety, and more specifically, how an app called RxWell has been helpful to her.

“Many times, people think you’re weak if you battle mental health struggles,” she explained. “Some people don’t even believe in anxiety and depression, but it’s real. My feelings and my symptoms are real.”

She wanted to let those who need it know that help is available.

“So much of our news focuses on the negative, but as a community, we need to take time to focus on the positive aspects as well,” Nutter said. “No one’s life is perfect, and I think a lot of people fail to recognize that. At the end of the day, we all have our own struggles.”

Nutter, a 2018 graduate of Geibel Catholic High School in Connellsville, said she has battled mental illness throughout her life, dealing with severe anxiety and slight to moderate depression.

She was raised by her grandparents at a young age due to her parents’ battle with addictions, as well as her mom’s incarceration.

“It wasn’t a very healthy environment,” Nutter recalled, adding that her mother was released from prison in 2014 and has been clean for about 10 years. “I’m fortunate that my grandparents raised me.”

She said she realized she needed help during her sophomore year of college and explained her feelings to her pediatrician. She didn’t want to take medication for her issues. Therapy was encouraged, as well as use of the RxWell app, which is available through UPMC.

Eligible users of the RxWell app work closely with a dedicated health coach who helps users reach goals, personalize action plans, and get answers to questions.

“I used it daily,” Nutter said of the app. “You can use the app anytime and anywhere. There’s even a coach that you can instant message at any time. They help you if you’re feeling anxious or depressed on how to better deal with it. There’s a video with a calming reassuring voice that brings you back to reality. That was always very helpful.”

Nutter, 22, said she was interviewed by Snow via Zoom for about 30 minutes for a piece that will run for about 2 to 3 minutes on the show. She said she talked with a “Today Show” producer earlier this week, who told her the segment was likely to run sometime next week.

It was an experience she enjoyed, stating the interview seemed to go well.

“She was amazing,” Nutter said of Snow. “She definitely allowed me to take my time and gather my thoughts. She was very reassuring, yet professional, knowing how to approach the questions because mental illness isn’t an easy topic to speak about.”

Nutter admitted she was hesitant at first to share her story.

“I was embarrassed, and I didn’t feel people needed to know my story,” she said. “(But I thought) maybe this would help other people.”

Now that the interview has taken place, Nutter admitted she is excited, yet a little nervous, to see it.

“It will definitely be different,” she said.

Currently, Nutter has a busy life.

She is a full-time student at Waynesburg and works part time in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va. She did an internship in the summer in the hematology/oncology department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and also worked for a year at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

She and her husband, Dalton, recently moved into a new house in Connellsville. Upon graduation from Waynesburg in May, Nutter will eventually begin working at Ruby Memorial in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Nutter knows she will continue to deal with her issues, but also knows she has means to cope with them as she moves along in her life.

“I am more confident in how I feel,” she said. “I know when I take the initiative to take the steps that will help me in a positive way, that’s how it’s going to help me in the end.”