Silent Decision: Awareness Out of Tragedy

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On March 15, 1999, my son, Trey, took his life. He was only thirteen years old 
and in the eighth grade.
I often come back to the unfinished business of what Trey was thinking and feeling that led 
to his suicide. I have tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together, thinking that if I had 
just one more bit of information, everything would fall into place and I would be able to 
exclaim, “That’s it!”
After many years of research, however, I have learned that both individual and cultural factors 
lead to a young person’s vulnerability to suicide. Ultimately, I have realized that out of tragedy 
can come awareness.