ROCKINGHAM — With September being Suicide Prevenion Awarness Month, Cameron Wright wanted a way to break through the taboo.
On Tuesday, she hosted a suicide prevention walk at Hinson Lake, featuring information from Daymark Recovery Servicies and the Black Fowlcan Foundation.
“I think it (suicide) can be uncomfortable, it can be a little heavy,” Wright said, adding that the purpose of the event was to raise awareness of knowing how to create a safe space for someone who may be contemplating ending their own life.
Wright, founder of Chosen Warrior, Inc., said she had her own struggles several years ago, including unstable housing, after leaving an abusive relationship.
What saved her life, she continued, was calling a friend after she started having negative, intrusive thoughts.
“She said, ‘No ma’am, we’re not doing that,’ and she immediately started praying,” Wright recalled. “And that really changed my mindset, and she reminded me that I’m loved, she reminded me that I have things to live for, I have children to live for — and that was a very important conversation.”
Wright said she then realised how many people “might not make that phone call.”
“Now I’m that person for people, because I realized that that phone call saved my life,” Wright said.
Hosting events like the one on Tuesday, Wright said, helps the public become more comfortable with the topic and know what resources are available in the community.
Chena Jackson-Ingram, clinical center director for Daymark, described the services offered at the facility on U.S. 1, calling it a “hidden gem” in the community.
“At any given time, when life happens, you may need some support,” Jackson-Ingram said.
For the past two years, Jackson-Ingram has been directing the inpatient crisis unit for youth ages 6-17. She added that the demand is for 12- to 17-year-olds.
“We’re seeing a growing number of … individuals that need that support,” Jackson-Ingram said to the Beta Club members who attended. “I want young people to understand (that) emotions are real. You’re going to deal with anger, you’re going to deal with frustration, you’re going to deal with outbursts — and sometimes you might not know how to handle it.”
According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 65 youth suicide deaths in the state in 2022 — a 30% increase from 2013.
“If you find your youth maybe isolating themselves, having marks …their body language has changed, their mood has changed … Those are signs that you may need to ask some questions,” Jackson-Ingram said. “Talk to someone when you’re having those feelings because you’re so valuable. We’re here to help.”
Sierra McQueen has been an advocate for suicide prevention, addiction and mental health since the death of her late husband in 2023, as those of other friends and family members.
Last year, she founded the Black Fowlcan Foundation to help families of suicide to cover funeral costs and to pay for therapy for those who can’t afford it.
The Foundation is hosting a community yard sale Saturday from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at 280 Pappy Rabb Road in the Derby community.
“It’s not about how they died,” McQueen said of those who commit suicide, “it’s about how they lived.”
(NOTE: Cameron Wright is a candidate for the Richmond County Board of Commissioners.)
