According to the World Health Organization, more than 700 thousand people die by suicide each year, that is 1 person every 40 seconds.
Suicide affects people from all walks of life in the GLOW region.
Suicide also affects those family members who are now dealing with the loss of their loved one, leaving them to deal with many emotional and financial issues.
Rebecca, an Orleans County resident, who lost her husband this past August, says if her experience can prevent just one person from going through what she has experienced it is worth it.
“We are all having a hard time with this, says Rebecca.
“I hate the thought of people thinking my husband was a weak man, but I don’t want others following in his footsteps when there are so many there to help. His counselor called him the Friday before he killed himself. She had a team go out to do a suicide assessment and he lied to all of us. I want people to ask for help and not keep their pain to themselves”
Rebecca says her and her husband were married for 8 1/2 years, then divorced in 2008. She says he had anger issues and was getting counseling and doing better. They remarried in October of 2020.
Her husband’s death has left a huge hole in her life, one that she says will take a lifetime to heal.
“We hadn’t even been remarried for a year. I’ve lost my one and only love. My children have lost the one and only father they’ve ever truly known. Our story had so many ups and downs as we fought to overcome each challenge.”
Rebecca says he survived so much, only to kill himself.
“He was an amazing man that got through life without knowing how to read or write. He somehow remembered enough and used many skills to apply for jobs to support his family. He recently contracted Lyme disease that made him exhausted. I think that contributed. He was 21 years older than me and was feeling his age. He was afraid he was not able to do the things he could when he was younger. He was struggling with getting older.”
Not only is Rebecca dealing with the loss of her husband, but when law enforcement located her husband after he was missing for a week, Rebecca’s sister died of a heart attack after learning of the sudden death. She is also struggling with the loss of her sister as well. She says she has borrowed money from friends to help pay for some expenses.
Due to the unexpected death of her husband and her sister, Rebecca is experiencing a major financial burden and is looking for help in paying funeral related expenses as well as covering the outstanding debt.
Fundraiser by Becca Carol : Death and end of life expenses (gofundme.com)
“I don’t want others struggling like him to suffer in silence. If his story can help just one person it’s worth it”
Resources – Mental Health Association (mhago.org)
How The 5 Steps Can Help Someone Who is Suicidal – #BeThe1To