Helping Others Has Given Me Comfort Following the Loss of My Son
“My journey with AFSP began in the summer of 2022, purely by chance. I had stopped by our friend Bruce’s home to drop off a gift, and noticed he was wearing an AFSP Out of the Darkness Walks t-shirt.
Having lost my beautiful son to suicide, I asked Bruce about his shirt. He responded that he had lost a nephew to suicide. Curious to learn more, I visited AFSP’s website the next day.
I was eager to get involved and make a difference, as well as meet others impacted by suicide. I began fundraising for the Out of the Darkness Walk in Tulsa, where Christopher had lived. I was proud to be the top fundraiser for the Walk that year, as well as the following year. In 2021, I joined the Oklahoma Chapter as a volunteer board member.
I personally feel a deep commitment to promoting mental health and preventing suicide in the Black community. This is why in addition to becoming trained as a presenter for AFSP’s flagship education program Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention, I have also been trained to present L.E.T.S. Save Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention for Black and African American Communities, and why I appreciate AFSP’s commitment to health equity through The Upright initiative.”