June 2016, my 10-year-old son tried to take his own life. He had been struggling deeply with grief after losing his Papal the year before. When we found him, he was without a pulse. He was brought to the hospital and put on life support. Physicians detected no evidence of brain function.
It was surprising for me. Jared was always a joyful, affectionate child. Following Papaw’s death, he said he was getting more angry and irritable, but I assumed that it was just an age. He kept saying everything was fine.
On the day it occurred, we were with relatives. Jared looks a little weird and steps into the guest room. I suspected he was sneaking ice cream, which he did when feeling down. Then we saw that the porch light was still on, which was strange because the switch was inside the room. My mom requested that he switch it off, but he did not reply. She looked and discovered the door was locked. I needed to obtain the key.
I will always remember her scream. That moment, my whole body went cold. Jared had hung himself. His face was almost unrecognizable, bruised and marked with blood. I was around 30 weeks along and could only cry out for assistance. My mother and sister managed to bring him down. Initially, he was not breathing, but somehow, my mom revived his heartbeat.
In the hospital, physicians prepared us for the worst. They mentioned he could remain unconscious forever. His body could not steady a body temperature, and when his lungs collapsed, the doctors had to put him in the coma. I remained beside him around the clock, pleading for him to recover.
Then like a miracle, he woke up. Physicians indicated that it should not have been feasible. Step by step, he relearned how to walk and feed himself. At first, it was not easy, but he kept going. He had battled for his existence.
God gave again a chance to my son. Not just once, but twice.
Jared opened his story that was:
Three years ago, I walked in and found out my Papal had passed away..” I never revealed to anyone how sorrowful I felt deep down. Twelve months later, I attempted to take my own life. I was on life support, and the doctors claimed I would not survive. Yet I did.
Now I inform others: You are important. Don’t let sadness win. Speak with someone. Hope exists. I enjoy fishing when I am feeling low. I often reflect on how truly fortunate I am to still be alive.
