STANDISH, Maine — Since they were children, Michael Norton and his little brother J.T. were inseparable.
Even after Michael was diagnosed with muscular distrophy and confined to a wheelchair at a young age, J.T. was there every step of the way to make sure his brother was getting the care he needed.
"He was a fun person and had a good heart." Norton said.
The Bonny Eagle graduate spent much of his free time on the ice rink or anywhere he could transform into a skate park. The free-spirit had a passion for life and making others smile.
But as J.T. got older, his family started to notice a change in him. He was battling demons that no one ever really knew about.
Soon after, he was diagnosed with Schizophrenia.
"We didn't know some of the stuff that was going on in his own mind," their mother Suzan Norton said. "It was almost like his brain was attacking who we was."
On December 15, 2016, J.T. died by suicide.
"He tried really hard to take care of himself for five years," his mother said. "He stayed here as long as he could."
J.T.'s sudden passing sent a ripple effect of grief through the Norton family, but Michael says he was determined to do something to honor the life of his brother.
So, he turned to his passion. Art.
"I'm creative, so I have the drive to always make stuff." Norton said.
He decided to create a documentary. With the help of family and friends, Michael spent hours combing through home videos and pictures.
"It was very hard to decide what to use," Michael said. "It was just like 'oh I like this skateboarding trick, I like this shot'."
What started as a way to memorialize his brother's love for skateboarding soon turned into something much more. Instead, it would be a way to not only honor J.T.'s life, but a chance to share his story.
"Working on this makes me happy," Michael said. "I hope this documentary gets rid of some of the stigma that surrounds mental illness."
Michael spent the last two and a half years going through footage, interviewing J.T.'s friends and family, meeting with experts on mental health, and so much more. He wanted the documentary to cover as many aspects of his brother's life that it could, shining a light on everything from mental illness to the strength of his community.
"We just try to remember him every day," Michael said. "I think he would be proud of me for working on something and hopefully helping others."
His documentary 'Brothers' is set to premiere next week at the Nickelodeon in Portland. For ticket information, click here.