Out of the Darkness

Samantha Lynn Morgan
September 28th, 1986 - September 8th, 2005

My mom and I are fundraising and participating in an Out of the Darkness walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in honor of my little sister Samantha, who took her own life September 8, 2005 just shy of her 19th birthday. Sam suffered from bi-polar disorder and borderline personality disorder.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is at the forefront of research, education and prevention initiatives designed to reduce loss of life from suicide. With more than 33,000 lives lost each year in the U.S. and over one million worldwide, the importance of AFSP's mission has never been greater, nor our work more urgent.

The walk is in November, and Mom and I are each trying to raise 200 dollars. If you can, please donate through this link.

In her note, Samantha described her pain as a mental cancer that she could not be free of. I think that's a very accurate way to describe it. Like cancer 30 years ago, many patients of mental disorders such as bi-polar or others can not cure themselves but simply live out life while treating their symptoms. With advocacy and medical research, cancer is much more treatable now than it once was, and surely the same can happen with mental disorders. AFSP funds research aimed at improving our understanding of suicide and ways to prevent it as well as educational activities to increase awareness about prevention, warning signs and the psychiatric illnesses that can lead to suicide.