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Dear Margaret,
On March 21, 2005, my daughter Aria—my only child—was born. This Friday, March 21, Aria would be turning 20 years old. But in 2019, at just 13, she took her own life.
Aria was a force and a light, full of personality and joy. In the wake of losing her, I was shattered, confused, and angry. But almost immediately, I found myself pulled into suicide prevention work. I needed to try and understand. I had spent my career in mental health, yet before Aria’s passing, I didn’t know that suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24. That statistic became personal. It became a mission.
I began working alongside SAVE, initially advocating for suicide prevention barriers on bridges and public structures. That work deepened my commitment, and eventually, it made sense to make suicide prevention my full-time career.
When I became a mother, I made a promise to Aria: I would love her, support her, and protect her for as long as I lived. That promise didn’t end when she passed. I honor her every day—through every conversation with someone who is struggling, through every email from another parent who has lost a child, through every effort to make sure no other family feels this pain. Aria’s story didn’t end in 2019, because I refuse to let it.
When you donate to SAVE, whether it’s your time, or your money, you are making a difference in saving lives, and supporting people like me—people who want to make sure our loved ones are remembered.
My hope, on Aria’s birthday, is that people who read this will check in with their kids. Ask the question. Say the word “suicide” when you need to. When you give them space to say the word, it opens a dialogue for more honest conversations.
Seriously—it just might save their lives. Oh, and give them a hug.
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