A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Foundation
The Cupid Soldiers Foundation exists to honor Jacob “Hella Sketchy” Thureson — by making sure young people struggling with mental health and addiction, and the families who love them, never have to face it alone or in silence.
In loving memory of Jacob “Hella Sketchy” Thureson · 2001–2019
Our Mission
We fight for the kids the system left waiting.
Jacob had everything the world says should be enough — talent, success, a future signed and sealed. He still struggled with clinical depression and anxiety, and when the care available to him fell short, we lost him.
The Cupid Soldiers Foundation was born from that loss. We direct resources to the frontlines of youth mental health and addiction: expanding access to real care, funding education that breaks the stigma, and standing beside families walking the hardest road there is.
Every dollar given here is Jacob’s memory at work — turning the worst thing that happened to our family into a lifeline for someone else’s.
His Story
Before the world knew Hella Sketchy, he was Jacob.
A restless, deeply creative young artist who turned feeling into sound and built a devoted following from the ground up. Gifted at six. Teaching himself to code at ten. Signed to Atlantic Records at seventeen.
And underneath the talent, a young man carrying a weight the world couldn’t see. Jacob was lost to an overdose on June 27, 2019, at eighteen — after a two-week coma. His story is why this Foundation exists, and why we refuse to let it end in silence.
Why It Matters
Jacob’s struggle was not rare. It is the quiet reality for millions of young people — and the families beside them — who are told to wait, to tough it out, or to feel ashamed for needing help at all.
We believe reaching out should be met with open doors, not waitlists and stigma. That belief is the whole of our work.
A Note From Our Founder
“June 27, 2019 was the date of my worst nightmare coming true — the day I lost my eighteen-year-old son Jacob. He was a signed artist with a bright future, and despite having everything he wanted, he struggled with depression and anxiety. When the treatments available failed him, we ended up here.
On the third day in the hospital, I surrendered the outcome, knowing he was in God’s hands. Spirit said, “steward your suffering well.” This Foundation is my obedience to that call. It is how I make sure Jacob’s life keeps saving others’ — long after mine.
— Erik Thureson · Jacob’s Father & Founder
What We Do
Fund and connect young people to real mental health and addiction treatment — closing the gap between the moment someone reaches out and the moment help actually arrives.
Back honest education and awareness — through Jacob’s story and others like it — so that struggling is met with compassion, not shame, and no one feels they have to hide.
Support the parents, siblings, and loved ones walking alongside someone in crisis — because when a young person is fighting, the whole family is fighting with them.
The Reality We’re Fighting
1 in 5
youth aged 12–17 had a major depressive episode in the past year
59.8%
of youth with major depression received no mental health treatment
1.6M
youth reported a substance use disorder in the past year
50M
U.S. adults are living with a mental illness today
Source: Mental Health America
Give In Jacob’s Name
The Cupid Soldiers Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3). Every donation is tax-deductible, and every dollar goes to work on the frontlines of youth mental health and addiction — in Jacob’s memory.
Puts crisis resources into a young person’s hands
Helps a family find and reach real care
Funds education that breaks the silence in a community
Secure donation · Tax-deductible · EIN 41-5262409
You Are Not Alone
Reaching out is not weakness. It is the bravest thing a person can do. These lines are free, confidential, and available 24/7.