- Bradley Warren

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SPOKANE, WASH- On the Today Show this morning the Hilinski family will sit down with families of other #athletes who died by #suicide.

May is #mentalhealthawareness month, the Hilinski family has turned his death into a way to help others but I found it in the organization “Hilinskis Hope.”

His #parents are still struggling with their loss, but they hope their experience will resonate, not just with other #parents, but with society as a whole.

The 21-year-old was found dead in his apartment with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Police say a #suicide note was found.

Hilinski was listed as a redshirt sophomore quarterback at the time.

That night #students came together and were heartbroken, but it helped start a much larger conversation for #students in sports and outside of sports regarding #mentalhealth on #college campuses.

“I think we kind of felt like, if this can happen to Tyler, it can happen to anybody. Our family was - we were so close and we loved each other and we talked every day, right. We did all this stuff,” #MarkHilinski said.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

In a previous interview with today, Mark and #KymHilinski said there weren't any signs from their son or to anyone at #WashingtonState that their son was suffering.

Following their son's death, the Hilinski's received a request from the Mayo Clinic to examine Tyler's brain.

The results showed Tyler had the brain of a 65-year-old and stage 1 CTE.

Hilinski's death sparked a national conversation about #mentalhealth, and resources are always available:

If you are struggling with thoughts of #suicide in any way, the #nationalsuicidepreventionlifeline is open 24/7. Call: 1-800-273-8255.

If you would rather text, you can send the word "connect" to 741-741.
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=10600