Skylar’s Story

Skylar and I at Easter 2017

Skylar was the second of four children, and he was a source of light to everyone he met. This photograph was taken just one week before his passing by suicide. Skylar's challenges began at the age of eight, when he first expressed suicidal thoughts and experienced a psychotic episode. One might wonder what could lead to such experiences in a child of that age. This is Skylar's story.

Skylar was born on November 8, 2000. He was originally due on December 10, but he seemed destined for great accomplishments in his brief life. Mental health issues had a profound impact on Skylar from a very young age. Unfortunately, he witnessed domestic violence between his parents, survived sexual molestation, and lost his father to suicide in 2009, all before the age of eight.

Skylar received therapy for the next eight years and took various medications to manage what was ultimately diagnosed as bipolar disorder. By the time he was sixteen, he had stopped taking medication for a year to see if he could manage without it. He realized that this approach was not effective. He initially visited his pediatrician to resume mood stabilizers, and I had arranged an appointment for him with a psychologist specializing in adolescent mental health, which was scheduled for two weeks away. We never imagined we would not have those two weeks.

On May 1, 2017, my son tragically ended his life. His younger brother found him, and I will never forget his desperate cries for help. When I went downstairs to his room, I was utterly unprepared for what I would see. My beautiful boy - I attempted to resuscitate him, administering CPR until the paramedics arrived. His little sister leaped onto him, screaming, "I won't let you die." She instructed me to breathe for him while she performed compressions, with his brother screaming in the background.

That day will be etched in our memories forever.

This is the reason for the existence of this foundation – to prevent other children from dying by suicide, to prevent families from hearing the words, "I'm sorry, but he's gone." To assist youth and their families in their journey toward survival. I know there are others out there, survivors of suicide loss, survivors of attempts, and families enduring crises.

Please consider donating to our cause, as every youth deserves another day;