Stories of Hope
Thoughts of suicide don't have to lead to tragedy. Read these stories of hope to learn what others have experienced.
June - Brooklyn, New York
I live in a retirement community. My next-door neighbor, Sal, lost his son Joey on 9/11. He had lost his wife several years back, and his son, a firefighter, was his great pride and joy. When he lost Joey, Sal seemed to whither up--he lost weight, got dark circles under his eyes, and his skin just hung off him.
I stopped by one night, just to talk. He said he didn't know what he had to live for now that Joey was gone. I went with him the very next day to see the social worker who visits our complex. She got him help. Now Sal is planning a neighborhood spaghetti supper to raise money for the 9/11 fund.
Sienna - Las Cruces, New Mexico
My sister Darla had a tough year a few years back. She was laid off from the company where she had worked for 19 years. Then she lost her beloved dog and her osteoporosis was so bad that she needed a wheelchair to get around. She seemed so sad all the time, and complained about how unfair life was. She started giving her grandchildren all her kitchenware. She said she didn't need it anymore. Cooking had always been Darla's great pleasure.
One day she told me how easy it would be if she could just swallow a few extra pain pills. I stayed over that night and took her to the community health center the next day. They said she was suffering from depression, and she started seeing a specialist. She is back to her old self again and back cooking up a storm!
