“Gone Too Soon…Loved Enough for a Lifetime”

The passing away of anyone close to us always seems too soon. There really isn’t a good time to lose a loved one. And the pain and grief we feel from the loss is something we have to try to come to terms with.

But when someone is taken from us due to mental illness, it can be near impossible to deal with the heartache we experience. We search out ways to cope, and to know that we are not alone in what we are going through. Opening the door to begin a conversation about mental illness can really help and NAMI Southern Arizona wants to start that conversation with you now.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Every year, NAMISA tries to give people an outlet to start the conversation about losing a loved one to mental illness, but this year we would like to take it a step further.

If you have lost a loved one, friend or family, to mental illness, we would like for you to be a part of our special tribute titled “Gone Too Soon…Loved Enough for a Lifetime.” NAMISA will be putting together a special Memorial page which will be placed on our website, in our weekly E-Blast, our social media and more. All you need to do is send us a picture of your loved one that you have lost to mental illness giving us their full name, date of birth, and date of death. If you would like to add a quote about your loved one, we can add that as well.

With the drastic rise of mental illness deaths since the beginning of COVID, the time is NOW to make sure our loved ones are NEVER forgotten.

Please send your tributes to Shelly Jernigan at mjernigan@namisa.org before August 31st, 2022. If you need any additional information, please email Shelly or call our office at (520) 622-5582.

Goodbyes hurt the most when the story was never finished. Yet, the hardest part of losing a loved one to mental illness is not having the opportunity to say goodbye. Let NAMISA help you and your family show your loved one they will never be forgotten.