New Patient Story

In February of 2015 I was working in Newberg, still at a retail pharmacy. I remember getting a call from my mom telling me my cousin Brett was gone. She didn't have details, just said he had passed, and they suspect suicide. I'll never forget that helpless and hopeless feeling. Not understanding how someone could do that. Not being able to help, or even hug, my family. You see my cousin Brett was the life of the party. He was always the one with the jokes (knock knock jokes were a favorite), the one making sure everyone around him was enjoying themselves. He was a musician, always playing a song, always singing. So outgoing and friends with everyone. He loved his brothers, his parents, his nieces and nephews, and his cousins. He lived in New Orleans, but in my family, distance means nothing. We saw him at every reunion, we texted and chatted via social media. We were more than distant cousins, we were friends. I'll never know why he made the choice he made. I've never had the courage to ask his mom. I don't need to know. They are his reasons alone. I know that he had just graduated college. He started his own business. He was enjoying his newest little nephew who adored him from the start. He went to a local park one night, and was found by early morning joggers the next morning. I know he broke our hearts. At his funeral, which I was unable to attend, an anonymous note was handed to his mom that said 'If you don't impact someone, then this is all a waste'. My family, Brett's mom, brothers, and best friend, created a foundation in his honor - https://www.btdfoundation.org/ - where they help others suffering with suicidal thoughts, mental illness, and musicians in the New Orleans area. This inspired me to see what I could do here, in Oregon, to help in his honor. This is how I learned of the AFSP and the Out of the Darkness walks. I walk every year in his honor. I tell people my cousins story, and I try and break the stigma surrounding Suicide. I highly suggest looking into the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and see where you can make a difference. Use your voice. Share your story. Be a willing listener to help someone else through these dark thoughts.