GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Local organizations are offering information on how to cope with a loss by suicide after a Detroit meteorologist died overnight.
Jessica Starr was a Michigan native and Michigan State graduate, working at Fox 2 in Detroit. The station announced Thursday morning that Jessica had taken her own life overnight.
Starr, 35, had been at Fox 2 since 2012. She was married and had two children. She had been off the air recently as she recovered from Lasik eye surgery. She posted on social media last month that she was struggling with her recovery and asked people to keep her in their thoughts during this time.
The director of "I Understand", a Kent County non-profit that provides support services for those affected by suicide, says that they are working to provide more support for people dealing with a suicide's aftermath.
“So many people after a tragic loss like this think 'I wish I would’ve recognized the signs and symptoms', and 'I wish I would’ve done something else,'" Emily Underwood, told FOX 17 Thursday. "And hindsight is 20/20, and now it’s the what can you do? Bring someone to a support group. Offer them compassionate comfort through sharing your words of wisdom.”
For more information, click here for the "I Understand" website.
If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or text 741-741.
