MANHATTAN, IL — Manhattan officials on Tuesday again designated September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, an annual and poignant effort to rally awareness around a cause that has touched many in the community.
Mayor Mike Adrieansen on Tuesday issued a proclamation stirring support for the effort spearheaded by Shelly Lewis, whose 15-year-old son Jackson took his own life in June 2020. Since his death, Lewis has led suicide prevention and awareness efforts in her family's tight-knit town.
"Every September, I stand before you and talk about suicide prevention," Lewis told the Village Board on Tuesday. "And every September, I wish I had a different reason for being here.
"But I don't."
Lewis said she's felt compelled to continue her advocacy work in the years since Jackson's death, as she's seen mental health impacts and suicide ripple across her small town.
"I don't want to see another family go through the same kind of pain we've gone through with losing a child," Lewis told Patch.
Police statistics detail that in the last year, the town has seen 12 emergency calls for mental health crises and three suicide attempts, Lewis said.
"Those numbers are more than statistics," Lewis urged. "Behind every call is a person—and behind every person is someone who loves them."
She aims to continue sharing Jackson's story while inspiring action.
"I just want to keep it relevant and in front of people," Lewis said, "and let them know they need to check in on their loved ones."
Jackson was "so much more than the way we lost him. He was our son, a brother, a friend, and a kid who had his whole life ahead of him," she told the board. "He should have grown up,
graduated, built a career, fallen in love, and experienced all of the moments that we now know we will never get to experience with him."
Mayor Mike Adrieansen stressed the importance of community members supporting each other and getting the help they need.
September is known around the United States as "National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month" and is intended to help raise the visibility of the mental health resources and suicide prevention services available in our community.to speak openly about the importance of mental health and the impacts of suicide to help remove the surrounding stigmas, and to direct those in need to the appropriate support services.
... The Village of Manhattan, Illinois is no different than any other community across the country, but chooses to publicly place our full support behind local educators, mental health professionals, athletic coaches, law enforcement officers, and parents, as partners in supporting our community in simply being available to one another; and national organizations like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and Suicide Prevention Services (SPS) are on the front lines of a war that many still refuse to be discussed, as suicide and mental health remain too uncomfortable to talk about; and every member of our community should understand that throughout life's struggles we all need the occasional reminder that we are all fighting our own battles...."Village of Manhattan's Proclamation of September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
"Proclaiming September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in the Village of Manhattan is an important reminder that every life matters and no one should ever feel like they are facing their struggles alone," Adrieansen told Patch. "We have a responsibility as a community to look out for one another, to have the difficult conversations, and to make sure those who are struggling know there is help and hope available. I encourage everyone to take this opportunity to learn the warning signs, reach out to someone who may be struggling, and help us build a community where no one feels alone."
As part of the designation, Lewis encourages residents and businesses to display purple and teal ribbons on their property in honor of Jackson. Lewis hand-makes the ribbons for distribution, making them available for pickup at her family's home and also at Village Hall.
"To see all the ribbons around town—I have mixed feelings," Lewis said. "I'm keeping my son's memory alive, keeping Jackson's name relevant. But it's also a sad thing, because we have lost a few people to suicide—even in our small community—over the last several years."
'A Happy Kid'
Jackson would have graduated from Lincoln-Way West High School in 2023. The soccer player and avid runner seemed to be a happy kid, Lewis told Patch. He was active in sports and socially. In junior high, he ran track and cross country. As a freshman at Lincoln-Way West, he played soccer. Everything seemed to be going well for him until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a shutdown and restrictions in place, Lewis said Jackson lost his connections and his outlet in sports. Even with the changes in his routines, though, no one knew of his suicidal ideation.
It's a crucial message she wants widely shared.
"One of the hardest things for us to accept is that we didn't see it coming," Lewis told the board. "There were no obvious warning signs. No red flags that told us how much pain he was in. And that is something I want people to remember: you may not always know.
"The person sitting next to you, the teenager laughing with their friends, the coworker who shows up every day, or the neighbor who says they're fine may be struggling in
ways we cannot see."
Lewis and her family have worked since his death to memorialize Jackson in the New Lenox and Manhattan communities with the creation of the Jackson Lewis Memorial Foundation and its corresponding scholarship.
The foundation is a nonprofit aimed at helping to raise awareness for and combat suicide in kids 18 years and younger. It's based on three pillars: awareness, education and research. The foundation focuses on kids with mental health issues, offering outreach programs with featured speakers at area schools.
"After losing Jackson, our family wanted to find a way to turn our heartbreak into something that could help other families," Lewis told the board.
"... We can't change what happened to Jackson. We can't bring him back. But we can make sure his life continues to have meaning. And maybe, if sharing his story encourages one person to ask for help, one parent to start a conversation, or one person to stay a little longer, then Jackson's story can help
save another life. That is what I hope this month is about."
Lewis stressed the importance of checking in with those around you.
"Ask. Listen. Stay," she encouraged. "Ask someone how they're really doing. Listen without judgment. You don't have to have the perfect words or solve their problems. Sometimes simply being there matters.
"And stay connected. Check on the person who has been quiet. Call the friend you haven't heard from. Reach out to someone who may be struggling. ... Check on your loved ones; ask if they're ok. Genuinely listen to them. Get them to stay. It's simple, but so important."
Lewis thanked the Village Board, Mayor Mike Adrieansen, her friends and family for their support of her efforts.
She is also making purple and teal ribbons for display around the community. Beginning Thursday, they can be picked up at her home—24928 S. Foxford Drive—or at Village Hall, 260 Market Place.
"... Together, we can keep the conversation going, spread awareness," she shared with the community on social media, "and remind others that they are never alone."
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