Lidia lost her husband, Leo, to suicide two months ago when he was just 26. This has left Lidia to raise twin 6-month-old babies and a 13, 12, and 9-year-old by herself. Suicide is not a selfish act. Leo did not mean for this to happen, he was only trying to escape his own pain. Suicide can delude us into thinking our loved ones are better off without us. What we’ve also learned is that Leo lost his own father to suicide when he was just a child, and that fact was always with him. He was a survivor of suicide loss, and survivors are at an increased risk of dying by suicide themselves if they do not receive the care and support they need. Lidia has received some help from friends but suicide can be very isolating. The stigma and myths around it can push people away when you need them most. She has no close family living here, forcing her to struggle to provide for her family while carrying debilitating grief. Lidia and her five children live in a tiny 800-square-foot apartment. Their landlord has served her with an eviction notice because she is behind on rent. Leo provided the primary source of income for their family. Although Lidia has tried her best, the family is still behind. She has even considered using credit to buy an SUV to live out of with her 5 kids. This family is on the brink of homelessness. The silver lining is that Lidia is highly motivated to finish trade school and provide well for her children. She already has two auto body mechanic certifications under her belt and is working on her 3rd certification. She dreams of receiving an Aviation Mechanic Certification from Miramar College, but it is going to take some work being stretched so thin. She desperately needs childcare so she can finish school. Help us give Lidia & her children the community support she needs to grow from her trauma the way we know is possible. A note from Will: The reason I created this fundraiser is because a little more than 6 years ago I lost my twin brother Hank to suicide. I was destroyed after the loss. Thanks to support groups hosted by Survivors of Suicide Loss (SOSL), along with my close friends and family, I was able to get back on my feet and grow from the experience. Eventually, I ended up becoming a volunteer facilitator for weekly SOSL groups, and I’ve been doing that for 5 years now. Lidia attended a group and shared her situation. Now I’ve heard many, many heartbreaking stories over the years, but Lidia’s pushed me and others at SOSL to advocate for her.
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