It’s #NationalSuperheroDay . Many of us are honoring our favorite film and television superheroes. But I want to expand the definition to include Jared Padalecki. He is someone who used the power of celebrity to help countless people struggling from anxiety and depression not to feel invisible and to find their voice.

Last year, Supernatural actor Jared Padalecki, who plays younger brother Sam Winchester on the long running CW show, opened up about his own struggles with anxiety and depression. Padalecki began a campaign called Always Keep Fighting(AKF) that became a battle cry for those suffering from various forms of mental illness. This campaign has connected people across the globe. Subsequent successful t-shirt campaigns have raised awareness and funds for organizations committed to mental health issues.

Padalecki’s most recent Always Keep Fighting campaign encourages people to “Love Yourself First.”

Thank you Jared Padalecki. You are a superhero in every sense of the word!