Jackson Free Press

As I was preparing for work the other morning, I saw a clip on Good Morning America about an upcoming Marie Osmond interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She was speaking out about the loss of her 18-year-old adopted son Michael Blosil, who committed suicide eight months ago. He had issues in the past with depression and substance abuse, and he was very depressed the last time Osmond spoke to him on the phone. She tried to encourage her son by reminding him that she would be visiting him the following Monday. Unfortunately, Michael took his life that Friday by jumping from the roof of his apartment building. She said, "I told him, 'Mike, I'm gonna be there Monday, and it's gonna be okay,' but depression doesn't wait until Monday." Hearing her say that reminded me why I was walking down the rugged trail through the woods of Mayes Lake at LeFleur's Bluff during NAMIWalks earlier this month. Depression should always be taken seriously because you never know the mindset of the sufferer. You never know if you may be the one that could make him or her change her mind about giving up and ending it all. I equate it to giving life-saving CPR to someone whose heart has stopped beating. You can't save a life unless you learn how, and I think that if more people recognized the signs of someone contemplating suicide, more lives could be saved because they would know how to intervene. I appreciate the work of NAMI Mississippi, whose goal is to educate people about and remove the stigma associated with mental illness. Although NAMIWalks was on Nov. 6, the fundraising website will be available until Jan. 5. If you like to donate to NAMI Mississippi, please visit nami.org/namiwalks10/MIS/jfp2010 and give whatever you can. Thanks!