MUSKEGON, Mich. — September marks Suicide Prevention Month, and the Muskegon community is joining together for their annual Remembrance and Suicide Prevention Walk.
Emily Sullivan was among the attendees at the Remembrance and Suicide Prevention Walk. Emily lost her daughter, Sarah, to suicide in 2017. Sarah was just 21 years old.
“It's not something that we ever expected to happen to our family,” Emily said.
On the day of Sarah's death, Emily was the one to find her.
“Mad. That was the big thing," Emily said. "I was like, ‘How could you do this?’ And then I realized that she had no choice.”
Sarah suffered from mental illness, which her mom tells me led to her decision to end her life.
“It’s like a heart attack of the brain," Emily said. "It's where the brain stops functioning and they can't see past their pain to let them know that there's something on the other side.”
Now Emily is turning her pain into purpose. She started The Sarah Foundation, which stands for "Suicide Awareness, Remember There's Always Help."
“There's so many different feelings that you go through, and sometimes you have to talk about it to help get yourself through that grief," Emily said.
Sarah was an artist. After she died, Emily found 114 pieces of her artwork. To honor her daughter, she created The Sarah Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money for kids involved in art and music.
So far, there have been three art shows to raise funds. The first of the three art shows sold Sarah's artwork. With the funds they have raised, according to Emily, they have provided 19 scholarships for art students at Jackson College.
“A lot of kids were thankful, because it helped them to understand that their art and their music was an outlet for their suffering,” Emily said.
Tuesday night, the Muskegon Remembrance and Suicide Prevention Walk united families with stories similar to Emily's.
The event included speakers, music, poetry, a sing-along, mental health community resources on site, and the walk of remembrance.
Stephanie Williams, co-chair of the Suicide Coalition of Muskegon, described the experience, saying, “We walk to remember people, and we also walk to spread awareness so that people don't feel alone.”
The Suicide Coalition of Muskegon meets virtually once a month to discuss suicide-prevention strategies, whether it be reducing the stigma of suicide or, as Stephanie said, “offering educational opportunities on the various signs of what to look for if someone is struggling with suicide.”
According to Stephanie, suicide-prevention mailers are now in the hands of 73,000 homes in Muskegon for families like Emily's as they continue to live carrying great loss.
“I’m her voice," Emily said. "I'm her voice that she couldn't be for herself.”
Health-West is organizing a virtual prevention skills training Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m., and a Recovery Fest this Friday at Hackley Park from 1 to 5 p.m.
The Sarah Foundation also meets on the first Tuesday of every month at All Shores Wesleyan Church from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
For more information on The Suicide Coalition of Muskegon, click here.
For more information on The Sarah Foundation, click here.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988, or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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