Suicide Prevention Month (9-20-20)

Suicide Prevention Month (9-20-20)

Marks national suicide awareness month... and across the country families lose loved ones to suicide every year... but as kq2's chris roush explains... one northwest missouri family is turning their tragedy into an opportunity to help others... <<(sot, chancey herbert: "he always included everyone and made everybody feel special.

You couldn't ask for a sweeter kid.

He was just a really good kid.")chancey herbert speaks proudly of her son as any mother would...but unlike many mothers chancey knows a pain not many can relate to...(sot, chancey herbert: "don't wait until its too late.")on february 15, 2018...chancey and landon herbertt's middle child and youngest son, ledger, died by suicide at just 15-year-old...(sot, landon herbert: "we didn't know ledger was that bad until it happened.")his parents, nor anyone around him, saw the signs that tragic day...they were told he was excited at school and just got a part in the school play..but something changed that afternoon...(sot, landon herbert: "what happened between the time he got home until when he did it, i don't know.")the month of september is recognized as national suicide prevention awareness month...a time to share and help others...which is something the herbert's continue to do with ledger's story...(sot, landon herbert: "people want to sweep it under the rug and they think if you talk about it, it will bring on more suicide, but i think it's the exact opposite, so we need to talk about it more.") many times friends and families affected by a suicide loss...don't know where to turn...which is why, ledger's family created the phrase #lovelikeledger...and a softball tournament every year, not to glorify the act, but to remember their son, while sharing their story of losing someone to suicide... (sot, landon herbert: "it's a disease and it's like having cancer.

They can't help it.

It's just something that happens.")(sot, chancey herbert: "it's definitely not an easy thing to talk about especially once you've gone through it.")but at the same time, they know thousands of people suffer from depression or some other kind of mental health concern...so, it's why ledger's little sister, jade, took to social media to get people talking about depression and helping those in need...(sot, jade herbert: "people don't understand what depression is and if you don't understand what depression is i would love for you to understand it.

If your loved one needs it or has to have the help, it's awesome to be there for them and i wish i could have been there more for my brother, but it took a lot and not knowing the signs of suicide.")according to stats from the american foundation for suicide prevention... suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the united states..with more than 48,000 americans dying in 2018...and 1.4 million attempting suicide...but those numbers can change...that's something the herberts believe...suicide didn't define their son..it was caused by something out of his control...(sot, landon herbert: "there were not a lot of signs cause it's usually the happy people.

There the ones that were smiling all the time and trying to help other people because they know how they feel, so they don't want people to feel like them.") known as a lover and a hugger...ledger's passing is something that can't be changed..but his family hopes by keeping his memory alive and talking about his battle... they may be able to help someone else fighting their own battle...sot, chancey herbert: "we don't try to hide it.

It happened, so if we can help somebody or save somebody by doing something like this, then it's all worth it.")>> the money raised from this weekend's softball tournament goes toward a scholarship in ledger's memory and toward the church camp he loved.

His family hopes to also help children in need of school supplies...