MOVTT Suicide Prevention Initiative
Jimmy's Story
The hardest day my family ever faced was the morning of July 4th, 1993 — the day my older brother Jimmy took his own life.
I was walking through the apartment parking lot when I heard the sound of breaking glass, followed by my father's voice screaming that my brother had hung himself. I ran upstairs and found the door locked. I kicked it in. My father stood in shock, his hand bleeding from the broken window. My mother was desperately trying to hold my brother up by his legs. I got him down to the floor and began CPR, frantic to save him.
When the ambulance personnel arrived, they moved me aside to take over. I went into denial, telling myself he was going to be okay. At the hospital, we were told he could not survive without life support, and that due to the length of time he had been without oxygen, he would not recover. The doctors made the decision to remove him from life support.
When I told my little sister that our brother was gone, she refused to believe it. When my little brother arrived days later, the grief pushed him to a breaking point — and that is when we first began to notice signs of mental illness taking hold in him. My father could not bring himself to return to the apartment. My mother would go into Jimmy's closet and speak to him, unable to let go.
On July 4th, 1993, our family was shattered.
I have come to understand that Jimmy suffered from mental illness, and that painful life circumstances — his separation from his ex-wife and being kept from his son — contributed to his decision. Sharing his story is not easy, but it is necessary.
Mental health is real. Suicide is preventable. And with the right support, healing is possible.