Portrait of a teen lost to suicide - Madison Holleran

I'm sharing this heart wrenching story of the loss of gifted student, athlete and adored friend, sister, and daughter, Madison Holleran. I can relate to so many parts of this story. I was particularly struck by a line from the book, Reconstructing Amelia, that Madison left behind as a clue to the turmoil and pain she was feeling.  " Sometimes it's hard to tell how fast the current's moving until you're headed over a waterfall."

I have always felt that Emma got pulled over a cliff of despair by a strong and unexpected wind. 

I also was struck by this quote:

Bill Schmitz Jr., former president of the American Association of Suicidology, points out that depression does not have a one-size-fits-all prognosis. "The course varies," he says. "In a way, it's the same as cancer. For some, we might prolong life for months, for years. For others, it can be very sudden."

Click here for the story.