COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The lives of Elizabeth Wagnon and her family changed forever when she lost her husband in August 2019 to suicide.
“It was something that none of us saw coming — it was a surprise to our family," Wagnon said.
"We lost a husband, a father, a stepfather, and a grandfather.”
Since then, Wagnon wanted to do all she could to bring awareness to other families in the community, and she joined the Brazos Valley Coalition on Suicide Prevention.
On Monday, city leaders from both Bryan and College Station recognized National Suicide Prevention Month in the Brazos Valley.
During the meeting, leaders from the Brazos Valley Coalition on Suicide Prevention provided information on how to recognize the signs of someone in need and how others can reach out for help.
“For me that was part of my healing, it was a way to take something very, very negative and very, very difficult and channel it into something positive," Wagnon said.
President of the coalition, Doug Vance, said stories like Wagnon’s help to bring the group together.
“That’s what we started this whole thing for — to break the stigma and get people talking about it," Vance said.
"There’s no shame about talking about depression and suicide ideation.”
Wagnon she will continue to advocate for those who are suffering today.
“I love telling my story now — I can do it without crying, it’s [a] very, very big [deal]," Wagnon said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at number 988.