Written by Kevin Lillis
We hear from reporters, writers and journalists every day about the acts of violence, tyranny and greed being bred throughout every corner of the earth. And in a world where we find ourselves surrounded by such hostility and hatred, I have found myself struggling to maintain the hope for a better tomorrow. Tucked back in the far reaches of my mind, however, I am reminded of the words of Arundhati Roy, the 1997 Booker Prize winner for her novel, “The God of Small Things.” She said that “not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” And at 10 a.m. on March 12, 2011, a glimmer of light revealed itself out of the darkness, and I not only heard the inspiration and expiration of Mother Earth, but I heard her shouting and singing at the top of her voice, announcing to her children that hope is not lost. Yes, in the very corner we call Conway, Ark., on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas, the UCA Student Nurses’ Association hosted Arkansas’ very first Out of the Darkness Campus Walk for suicide prevention.The statistics concerning suicide are appalling. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that in 2007, “more than 34,000 suicides occurred in the U.S. This is the equivalent of 94 suicides per day; one suicide every 15 minutes or 11.26 suicides per 100,000 population.” Concerning adolescents alone, “Suicide: Facts at a Glance” says “in 2009, 13.8 percent of U.S. high school students reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide during the 12 months preceding the survey; 6.3 percent of students reported that they had actually attempted suicide one or more times during the same period.”Coincidentally, I also couldn’t help but think about the recent outcry from Harding’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students when they confessed to having had concentrated thoughts of suicide in the moments when hope seemed to have completely abandoned them. Speaking to that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website says “scientists measured physical violence by peers”and found”that youth threatened or injured by a peer were 2.4 times more likely to report suicidal thoughts, and 3.3 times more likely to report suicidal behavior than non-victimized peers.”This is why UCA’s Out of the Darkness Campus Walk was such a needed event. When asking Scott Byrd, the current president of the UCA Student Nurses’ Association, about the event, he told me that “as of right now we have raised $17,358, and we are expecting another thousand in the coming weeks. We had approximately 470 people at the walk. It was the largest campus walk yet and one of the biggest walks to date. We broke several national records.” He also revealed to me that among many of the contributors, the Arkansas Nursing Students’ Association gave $250 toward the cause. As a soon-to-be RN, I have observed countless patients who have lost their will to live. My experience has taught me that where there is hope, there is health. And when hope is gone, life will assuredly follow suit.So, help restore hope. On Saturday, April 2, at 9 a.m. in Spring Park, the Dr. Robert E. Elliott Foundation is hosting a “Stride to Prevent Suicide” 5K and 1 Mile Run/Fun Walk. As stated on the event website, the “money raised from this event funds our free programs throughout the year, including monthly S.O.S. (Survivors of Suicide) Meetings, Understanding Depression seminars, free depression screenings, free literature and publications, a mental health provider resource list, a foundation resource phone line, scholarships and many other services.” Sign up to participate athttp://stridetopreventsuicide.eventbrite.com. If you’re willing to volunteer for the event, talk to Brad Houtchens, Harding Nursing Students’ Association’s service project director, for more details. Be part of the movement that is helping people everywhere shift Out of the Darkness and into life!KEVIN LILLIS is a guest contributor for the Buffalo. He may be contacted atklillis@harding.edu
