Surviving after a suicide: Stories of Hope and Recovery

Famous Scottish theologian William Barclay once said: “There are two great days in a person’s life — the day we are born and the day we discover why.” This blog is dedicated to those who have faced the depths of despair, stood on the edge of hopelessness. But for every heartbreaking reality there is always a ray of hope- a reminder that life can flourish even after darkness.

John Kevin Hines, an American mental health advocate, motivational speaker and author. At the age of 19, he attempted suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He is the one of few who survived this fall. His account includes the extraordinary encounter with a sea lion who kept him afloat until the coast guard came to rescue. This pivotal moment in Hine’s life led him to become a mental health advocate and motivational speaker.

For a more detailed account, you can watch Kevin Hines describe this experience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlyrDLQuPbo&pp=ygUPam9obiBrZXZpbiBoaW5l


Nikki Lynette is an artist and mental health advocate. In Happy Songs about Unhappy Things, indie artist Nikki is forcing us to confront the stigma in ways we never have before. She never realized that the mental health was such a serious issue until the day she got committed to a psychiatric facility. A proud ambassador and board member for the Chicago chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Nikki Lynette’s first TEDx Talk, hosted by Princeton University, was an opportunity for her to share how her punk culture roots aided her suicide recovery. Seeing her music used to tell stories in tv shows led Nikki to an interest in filmmaking. 

Message from a suicide survivor| TedxPrincetonWomen:


Your story matters. Your presence matters. Let's honor those who have struggled by choosing kindness, compassion and hope in every interaction. With this, our 10-blog series, The Quiet Storm: Understanding the Unspoken Battle of Suicidal Thoughts, comes to an end. While this series concludes here, the conversation doesn’t have to. 

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