SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. – John Rossley credits a small pamphlet with saving his life. Having battled depression for more than 30 years, the 57-year-old says he was unsure if he'd reach his 60th birthday.

"Just the thought of trying to go do something in your house like clean the kitchen, bathroom, was like you were trying to climb Mount Everest," Rossley said.

His depression wasn't only affecting him, though. His fiancée, Frances Depka, says it was a battle from the moment he woke up every day.

"I could tell in his voice that he was very depressed," Depka said. "There were moments when I would catch him crying, with tears in his eyes."

The Army Reserve veteran says he tried dozens of medications, but nothing helped. Sitting in a therapy appointment earlier this year, he came across a pamphlet for TMS, also known as transcranial magnetic stimulation.

"In depressed brains, there are areas that simply do not activate as well," said Dr. Aminidav Zakai. "And when we look at why this happens, it is actually because there is a reduction in the level of connectivity between neurons. And, there are many ways to actually increase neuron connectivity. One of them is by tickling them with magnetic stimulation. And it turns out that if you give these areas of the brain 100,000 little magnetic tickles, those brain cells start to branch again and reconnect again."

Zakai described Rossley as profoundly depressed when he first met him. Low-functioning, he was a perfect candidate for TMS treatment.

Neuronetics, the company behind the TMS treatment at Harrington Hospital, received FDA clearance for the use of its chair for adolescent patients, ages 15 to 21, as an add-on to antidepressant therapy for major depressive disorder. Rossley says his depression started around the age of 18, and he hopes his story can help a young person get the help they need. 

Rossley was skeptical about the treatment at first. But his fiancée asked him a simple question: why not?

"I was like, 'You know what, honey? There's nothing you can lose,'" Depka said. "'There's nothing to lose. Try it, see what happens, and we'll go from there.'"

For six weeks, Rossley visited Harrington Hospital to undergo TMS treatment. The chair was like his second home. Not even halfway through the program, the lightbulb turned on.

"The sadness from the depression started backing off, and I started to feel more like a person," Rossley said. "Oh my God. That was the greatest thing. To not get up in the morning and feel sad is an amazing thing."

His fiancée said the changes were night and day.

"He takes walks with me and different things that he wouldn't do before," said Depka.

The technology is rather new at the hospital. Treatments have only been happening for two years. But Zakai says the results are telling.

"Eighty percent of people will have a significant decrease in their depression," Zakai said. "So even those whose depression did not go into full remission, we see a significant decrease."

Rossley feels like he has a new lease on life. His treatment wrapped up in June, and for the first time in nearly 40 years, he's looking forward.

"People had never seen him smile before," said Zakai. "And now, it's hard to keep his face down."

Now, that 60th birthday is back on Rossley's radar. When asked how he felt, his answer was short.

"Good," Rossley said. "Really good."