Casting a light on the difficult subject of suicide
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on October 1, 2017 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
D Jones selects the color balloons that represent her journey as a suicide survivor, experienced loss due to suicide and suicide awareness advocate. Jones and dozens of other people gathered in Herman Park Saturday for the fourth annual Out of the Darkness event.
Stark messages were posted around Herman Park on Saturday morning, reminders of the importance of the Out of the Darkness community walk taking place.
"Last year 650,000 people visited a hospital due to self harm," read one.
"Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 10 to 24-year-olds" said another.
"There is one death by suicide every four seconds" announced another handwritten poster, along with the Suicide Prevention phone number, 1-800-273-TALK.
This was the fourth year for the community walk, organized in 2014 by Diana Coutts following the suicide of her son. The occasion was made more bittersweet by the fact that she lost her own battle to cancer earlier this year, in February.
So the several hundred who turned out for the walk were encouraged to take a purple balloon, Coutts' favorite color, from around the fountain for a balloon release in her honor. Other colored balloons were on hand for a second balloon release, to pay tribute to friends and loved ones who also were lost to suicide.
Stephanie Morris and Amanda Kirkhart were newfound friends who decided to walk together.
"My cousin died by suicide in 2009," Kirkhart said. "He was a corporal in the Marines.
"It's nice to meet other people and to get free hugs and to know that there are people that understand what you're going through."
"I know the struggle's for real," added Morris, from California now stationed at the Air Force base. "It's empowering to see people out there."
Pauline Champion works on base and was invited to attend the walk by her supervisor. She said she did not hesitate to come out and support it.
Booths were also set up to provide resources and information, like the Strategic Behavioral Center, manned by Jacob Shaheen, with offices in Wilmington, Raleigh and Charlotte.
They offer high level services, for children and adolescents up through geriatrics going through any mental health crisis, he said.
"Today I'm just providing information about our services," he said. "We're here to help, patients who are suicidal or affected by suicide.
"We do this across the state."
Rebecca Montague was there with daughter, Kylie, 8, but their interest went beyond a fun stroll on a fall Saturday morning.
Montague's close friend Sherry's daughter, who was also Kylie's friend, was dealing with bullying but didn't know who to talk to or where to go for help, she said. On June 10, the 13-year-old took her life, Montague said.
"(Kylie) still asks every day, 'where's my friend?'" Montague said. "She just knows her friend's gone."
"This is a great way to bring awareness to the community," Montague said of the walk.
Jenna Rogers, one of the organizers, said that suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
And while the natural disasters of late, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria have left devastating destruction, some of the fallout is the potential for more suicides.
"Suicide has affected us all in one way or another," she said. "We are affected daily by the moments where their story should have continued -- a birthday party, the birth of a child, niece, nephew or grandchild, a graduation, a wedding, walking your daughter down the aisle, a fishing trip with their son or their grandchild.
"These moments, whether they were good or bad, are the moments they were supposed to be here for and they continue to affect us each and every day."