It saddens Margaret Hajdinjak to see a suicide epidemic plaguing communities across Ontario’s far north.
Eleven years ago the founder of the Out of the Darkness Memorial Walk lost her own son to suicide, a 26-year-old whose depression and ability to cope with it failed to outstrip the desire to end his own life.
She’s hoping this Sunday’s event can draw even more attention to the plight of those thinking about suicide, including young people in places like Attawapiskat First Nation, where dozens of people have attempted – and many succeeded – to kill themselves.
“I hope the people up there realize that it’s really important to talk about this, about suicide and mental health and depression,” Hajdinjak said on Monday.
“Those youth and young kids that attempted suicide to me is a real cry for help and to let the community know they need the support there.”
The numbers across Canada are staggering.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death, behind accidents, among people aged 15 to 34 and Hajdinjak said statistics show for every successful attempt, there are about 20 unsuccessful ones. Overall, in 2009 it was the ninth leading cause of death in Canada and in 2012, according to Statistics Canada, 11.3 people per 100,000 population killed themselves.
The annual walk, now in its sixth year, is her way of trying to erase the stigma surrounding suicide and help family members and other loved ones know there are others going through similar ordeals.
Since her son Steven’s 2005 death, four more of his friends have committed suicide. Just this past winter a 68-year-old friend also took his own life.
“Suicide doesn’t discriminate by age, gender or race. It can happen to all of us,” Hajdinjak said. “But when you lose somebody to suicide, people tend to shy away from you.”
Participants in the walk, scheduled to take place May 1 at Confederation College, are invited to post pictures of their loved ones on the memorial wall, sign their name on a symbolic butterfly and share their stories with people who’ve also lost loved ones to suicide.
“And when they say they know how you feel, they actually do,” Hajdinjak said.
The event is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with registration taking place at the college’s Ryan Hall dining room starting at 5:30 p.m.