In America, nearly 45,000 people die every year by suicide. The country still has a lot to lear about the 10th leading cause of death among Americans. While the reasons behind suicide range from; issues with mental health, depression, troubles with modern life, and many more, we still have a long way to go in understanding the best way to help our society protect itself from these avoidable deaths.

Suicide affects families all around the United States, and for every suicide, there is believed to be around 25 attempts of suicide. This is a staggering number, and I remember hearing similar stats years ago and thinking that it would never happen to my family

and then it did.

On July 26th of this year, I received a call that I will never forget. To hear that my 20 year old cousin, who had been planning to decide between enrolling in a local college and joining our military, had committed suicide was something no one saw coming. And thats the thing, people rarely do. We need more funding for great organizations who study the effects and causes of suicide, help take preventative measures, offer someone to talk to for those who seek it, provide awareness of mental health issues like depression, and offer counseling to families who have suffered from a suicide.

My family misses Robbie every day. We don't want any other family to have to grieve the loss of a life cut too short. Please join us in raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention so that they may help us fight this issue.

If you, or anyone you know, is feeling depressed or just feel you need someone to talk to, please call or text the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Online chat is also available and everything is anonymous.





Thanks for your time.