Suicides have become the second-leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States, surpassing homicide deaths, which dropped to third on the list . The teenage suicide rate increased from 8 deaths per 100,000 in 1999 to 8.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2014, and unfortunately, that number continues to increase.

On June 20, 2019, Nikolai Miller, described as "a shining light in a world that has gotten darker." died by suicide

His grieving mother, Kris Miller, started On A Dragonfly’s Wings as way to express her grief. It later became a leading source of education about mental health and suicide prevention.

Sean talks with Kris about her journey, how she copes with the loss of a child, and what she is doing to help others understand how critical mental health is and how many people need our love and support.

I have been a guest speaker at several suicide prevention trainings talking about Nikolai, his life, his struggles and ultimately, his death. As a member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Advocacy Committee of Michigan, I continue to fight to bring new legislation to the table to support mental illness and suicide prevention. Most recently, I partnered with former Representative Andrea Schroeder on HB 5482, Save Our Students Bill. This Bill was signed into law by Governor Whitmer on October 15, 2020, and requires all public school districts that produce a student ID, to print a suicide hotline number on the back of the card.

Learn more about Kris and her amazing organization.

http://onadragonflyswings.com/about-us/