The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is bringing hundreds of people together for the "Out of the Darkness" walk

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Hundreds of people gathered in Tyler on Saturday for a suicide prevention walk.

One of the volunteers at the walk, Kim Cathey, lost her nephew in 2016.

She says this is “the worst news you could ever receive”

“Until you’ve experienced something like this, you never think about suicide,” Cathey said. “That’s just something that doesn’t happen to you or anyone you know, and it could just be anyone.

It could be your neighbor; it could be your best friend. You just never know.”

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 49,476 Americans died by suicide in 2022.

Kimberly Grant, of the nonprofit, says the signs that someone is considering harming themselves are sometimes not obvious.

“You’re looking for something that lasts for several days, maybe a week or more or multiple weeks,” Grant said. “Then you think, ‘Okay, there’s a problem going on,’ and you get someone.”

She said someone could be a school counselor, a local counselor or a therapist, but time is of the essence.

“You don’t want to waste time because you just don’t know,” Grant said.

For Grant, she noticed signs in her son early and helped him get professional help. She noticed that he became quieter over time after he went to college.

She wanted to talk to him when he came home for Thanksgiving, but less than a day after he got home, he committed suicide.

This led to Grant joining the nonprofit.

Adanze Aguwa was another volunteer at the walk who has lost family members to suicide. She also tried to commit suicide.

She said it’s hard to talk about her struggles and knows it can be difficult for others to open up. She said the most important thing is that you get help.

“You live a quality and functional life, that’s what’s important,” Aguwa said. “Whether someone calls you crazy or refers to you as someone with mental health issues, it doesn’t change who you are.

What diminishes the value of who you are is if you don’t take care of your mental health and you end up not functioning.”

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention urges those who are dealing with mental health issues, have experienced loss, or are concerned about someone close to them to call 9-8-8, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, to call.

For more information about other resources, visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website: https://afsp.org/