LANSING, (Mich.) WLNS — A household mourning a beloved one misplaced to suicide is set to lift consciousness for psychological well being. A 16-year-old boy from Vermontville lately died by suicide, and as his household mourns, they’re hoping to assist others via their psychological well being battles.
The Wenger household by no means thought they’d be holding a silent public sale at this time, elevating cash for Nathaniel Wenger’s memorial, who died by suicide round a month in the past.
Now, they’re looking for the silver lining, trying to dwell out his legacy by ensuring different households do not need to expertise the identical factor. “He was my partner, you know. He was my everything,” Mark Wenger instructed 6 Information.
Nathaniel Wenger beloved sports activities and science and was mates with all people. Then, he took his personal life on April twenty third of this yr.
“I started seeing signs where he would isolate himself in the room and he would do less and less, so I called my insurance company and got him a mental health counselor,” Wenger mentioned.
His father took him to get assist, however he mentioned professionals instructed him there was no speedy danger to his son’s life.
“First it’s shock, you’re in shock, you never expected it to happen,” mentioned Nathaniel’s sister, Brandie Belen. “He was such an outgoing, bubbly person, he was friends with everybody. He was a happy person.”
Nathaniel was an organ donor and his donations helped greater than 20 individuals survive. “It made me proud because he thought of others. It makes me kind of happy that part of my son it still living and that he had such a big heart to think of others.” mentioned Mark Wenger.
Mark and the remainder of his household don’t desire others to need to undergo the identical ache they needed to. “I feel like everybody needs to know that it’s ok to talk openly about how they’re feeling. Like, you don’t have to be ashamed if you are sad this week. Especially with teenagers. I have my own teenagers and we talk openly about it, because it’s so critically important. That you don’t know what somebody’s going through.”
Lix Baker, a board member for the American Basis for Suicide Prevention, agrees. She mentioned do not be afraid to achieve out. “The biggest stigma is people think that if you talk about suicide, it’s gonna make it happen and our national research has actually proven that that’s the exact opposite.”
Mr. Wenger says he is already helped one household with a baby battling psychological well being and desires to assist as many as attainable: “My son reached out, and I’m gonna continue his legacy, reach out, and help people.”
When you wrestle with psychological well being, you may name 9-8-8, which is able to take you to the suicide and disaster hotline.
