Another year is passing us by without Neil, and while I set up this fundraising page, I am at a loss for words, so I'll leave you with words from my past fundraising stories, which still stand true:

I’m sitting here struggling with what to write on my team fundraising page. Do I write about what a great man my husband, Neil was? How he was a kind man who worked very hard to support his family? How he was affectionate and always made my daughters and myself feel safe and loved? How he was smart and witty and always made us laugh when he was not in a dark place? Do I write about how he struggled with depression for many years yet held on for so long before succumbing to the pain?

Or, do I write about statistics? How the age-adjusted suicide rate in 2019 was 13.93 per 100,000 individuals? How in 2019, men died by suicide 3.63x more often than women? How on average, there are 130 suicides per day? How in 2019, firearms accounted for 50.39% of all suicide deaths? Or how 93% of adults surveyed in the U.S. think suicide can be prevented?

Or, should I write about how devastating it is to lose someone you love to suicide? I could write about how losing someone to suicide is a different kind of devastation than losing someone to natural causes, cancer, or any other illness or tragedy. Not less or more devastating, but a different kind of devastation. How the shock and grief that consumes you after you lose someone to suicide is overwhelming. How it leaves family, friends, and society with so many unanswered questions and an extreme amount of guilt. Or how it leaves you wondering what more you could have done to help that person—to help that person realize that they are so loved and that their life is important and has meaning. This is something I still struggle with every day.

Or, do I write about how mental health issues are swept under the rug and suicide survivors are often forgotten?

• Every 40 seconds, someone dies by suicide, leaving behind 6-8 others suffering devastating grief. More than 6 million people are dealing with the aftermath of suicide in the US alone.
• Most who have experienced suicide loss say they never knew such pain existed, yet society is largely unaware of its impact on survivors.
• In fact, adult loss survivors are nearly 10x more likely to consider suicide themselves in the initial months following a loss.

Or, finally, do I write about how if we take the time to learn about suicide, including risk factors and warning signs, statistics, and treatment, we might be able to help reduce the risk of suicide?

Please help me reach my goal by clicking the "Donate" button on this page. All donations are 100% tax-deductible and benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), which funds research, education, advocacy, and support for those affected by suicide.

As always, thank you for your support!

With love and gratitude,
Dianna & Family

https://afsp.donordrive.com/participant/2408441