Out of the Darkness

this is a heavy post, however, i feel that awareness for this cause is important. if you have ever lost someone you know to suicide, this might interest you.

nearly every woman on my mom’s side of the family, myself included, has struggled with depression throughout a large amount of their life. my great grandma lost her life to it, and more recently, my cousin. my cousin, corey, took her own life in october of 2006. she was 16, gorgeous, and had everything going for her. her parents have since been involved with and supported this group called the AFSP for 3 years. AFSP is the american foundation for suicide prevention.

![Corey](/content/images/2009/09/team_9482.png "Corey")
> The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.

for the last 3 years, my aunt and uncle have done all they can to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. in doing this, they’ve participated in community walks with this organization and have had a lot of success getting corey’s friends and former classmates involved, as well as other members of our family. living in NC, i am unable to go up to new york to participate in the walk with them on october 10th, but i did make a donation of $25 last night. proceeds go to the AFSP to fund research, education, survivor and awareness programs.

if you are interested in making a donation towards this cause, this website has all the information you need. if you are interested in making a donation towards the donor drive in new york for my cousin, her team is called “Corey’s Crew”. you can make donations to that specific event, as well. the proceeds will stay in new york and go towards local suicide prevention and awareness programs.

i know this is not the usual quirky, happy-go-lucky, nerdy talk that i usually post. this is one subject about which i feel very strongly and i firmly believe that every dollar and minute of time donated counts. thank you. :)