CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A veteran who has lived with daily suicidal thoughts for more than three decades will share her story of recovery at a suicide awareness event on the Chillicothe VA campus later this month, according to the Chillicothe VA Medical Center.
Lynn, a veteran whose family includes several service members, will appear with her dog, Mellow, at the “Don’t Wait. Reach Out.” event scheduled for Sept. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Building 9 Auditorium, the VA said in a release.
Lynn began walking the VA campus daily during Suicide Awareness Month in September 2024, carrying a brick marked with negative words she once believed about herself to represent the weight of depression and trauma, according to the release. At the end of that month, she crushed the brick alongside members of her mental health treatment team, calling the moment “freeing,” the release said.
Several of Lynn’s family members served in the military, including her ex-husband, her brother and her cousin, and she said she witnessed the toll depression and PTSD took on them, according to the release. That experience, she said, drives her effort to show veterans they are not alone.
“It’s okay not to be okay,” Lynn said in the release. “Just stay for another day. Find people who will be there for you. Today needs you, and tomorrow might, too.”
The release said one of Lynn’s campus walks led to a conversation with a family that had lost a loved one to suicide a week earlier, after they noticed the words “YOU MATTER” on her backpack. Lynn said moments like that are why she keeps walking, according to the release.
Mellow has become a familiar presence on the VA campus, with passersby now asking after the dog by name, the release said. Lynn said she hopes to organize monthly community walks aimed at reducing the stigma around mental health struggles.
Veterans or family members experiencing a mental health crisis can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988, then pressing 1.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Chillicothe VA Medical Center.
