Today, I want to share with you one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen. We’ve all heard moving speeches by family members of those gunned down in these shootings; we’ve heard statements by young survivors who call for action. These speeches are always heartbreaking and touching, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard one more moving than this brave TED Talk by Sue Klebold, mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999.

“[Sue Klebold has] spent years excavating every detail of her family life, trying to understand what she could have done to prevent her son’s violence. In this difficult, jarring talk, Klebold explores the intersection between mental health and violence, advocating for parents and professionals to continue to examine the link between suicidal and homicidal thinking.

– TED

Rather than hiding from the world or letting her pain and guilt crush her, Klebold decided to do what she could to help parents of at-risk children. She is now a world-renowned activist for mental health awareness, research, and suicide prevention.

You can read more about Sue Klebold on her website. You can also purchase Klebold’s thoughtful, painful book, A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy on Amazon. Proceeds from her book are donated to charitable mental health organizations including the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1–800–273-TALK (8255)
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org