Several years ago, I lost my son (and my children lost their brother) Joseph at the young age of 20. This tragedy created a painful agony for me and my family that never truly goes away.

It was only after finding empathetic support individually and attending grief and loss groups with other persons who had been touched by suicide that I learned the true depth of suicide and its risk factors.

Suicide takes more lives each year than homicide, and suicide continues to be the leading cause of death in our nation since 1975. Unlike other causes of death that have been declining, suicide has been increasing for the past ten years. My family’s goal is to prevent suicide and save lives.