College Suicide Bill In Wyckoff Native's Memory Clears Senate

By ERIC KIEFER
Staff Writer

WYCKOFF, NJ - Township native and University of Pennsylvania student Madison Holleran may be gone, but her memory is already inspiring change.

On Monday, state Senator Kevin O’Toole (District 40) announced that the state Senate has unanimously passed legislation that aims to prevent suicides on college campuses by providing students with greater access to mental health professionals.

The “Madison Holleran Suicide Prevention Act” (S-557) calls for health care professionals, with training in mental health and reducing suicides, to be available around the clock remotely or on college campuses to assist students in crisis.

Students would have to receive information about these resources via email, no later than 15 days following the beginning of each semester, according to a news release from O’Toole, one of the legislation’s primary sponsors.

The legislation’s other primary sponsor, Teresa Ruiz (District 29) represents municipalities including Belleville and Newark.

O’Toole represents municipalities that includes Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes.

Read the text of the legislation here.

The bill is named after Madison Holleran. She committed suicide while attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

• See related article: Parents of Bergen County UPenn Freshman Who Took Own Life Release Suicide Note

Holleran, who jumped to her death from a Philadelphia parking garage last January, left a note saying, ”’I thought how unpleasant it was to be locked out, and I thought how it is worse perhaps to be locked in,’” Daily Mail reported.

The Holleran’s maintain their daughter took her life after not being able to cope with the expectation she set for herself, according to Daily Mail.

“Parents, if you see a huge change in your child and you haven’t discussed suicide with them, open that discussion up,” Madison’s parents, Jim and Stacy Holleran, said in a People magazine interview.

According to O’Toole’s office, suicide is the second-most common cause of death among college students, accounting for more deaths than all medical illnesses combined.

In New Jersey, 72 percent of youth suicides were committed by college-age young adults, O’Toole’s office stated in a release.

“It’s great that we were able to come together as a senate to support our students, especially the ones that might be dealing with internal struggles,” O’Toole said. “We need to reach these young men and women and tell them they are not alone. This legislation will ensure our college students will always have someone to lean on in their darkest hours.”

Photo: Madison Holleran