[ [link removed] ]Moms Demand Action
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988, or visit
988lifeline.org/chat to chat with a counselor from the 988 Suicide & Crisis
Lifeline, which provides 24/7, free, and confidential support to people in
suicidal crisis or emotional distress anywhere in the U.S.

John–

My sweet, sensitive, fun, beloved brother Junior died by gun suicide in
1992. It's taken me a long time to be able to say that freely. But sharing
Junior's story has given me my voice back, knowing his death has meaning,
a greater purpose.

Junior valued our family and brought us together. I was the youngest and
he loved to smother me with torturous cheek-pinching and called me his
Piscean twin. Junior was also a romantic. In college, he fell in love with
a girl, but it ended in heartbreak. He fell into depression which
ultimately provoked the onset of schizophrenia. Junior battled this
misunderstood mental illness for five heartbreaking years. When he
couldn't bear the pain anymore, he ended his life due to easy access to a
gun.

Too many people are experiencing suicidal crisis or mental health-related
distress without the support and care they need. The latest research shows
that the U.S. has one death by suicide about every 11 minutes. It's why
the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a gamechanger.

You can call or text 988 or chat [ [link removed] ]988lifeline.org if you or someone
you're worried about is having thoughts of suicide, a mental health or
substance abuse crisis, or emotional distress. 988 offers free 24/7 access
to trained crisis counselors who can help. And don't wait until you're on
the brink of a struggle—you can call whenever you need support.

Talking openly about suicide and sharing resources is essential to ending
the crisis. [ [link removed] ]Share our social media posts about the 988 Suicide & Crisis
Lifeline. You could help save someone's life.

[ [link removed] ]SHARE ON INSTAGRAM

[ [link removed] ]SHARE ON TWITTER

For many communities, including many Catholic and Asian families like
mine, there is a shame associated with suicide. We lived by the rule "What
happens in the family, stays in the family." We told people Junior "was
shot," not that he shot and killed himself.

I literally and figuratively lost my voice after my brother died. For over
25 years, I lived with survivors' guilt, trying to bury my pain. It was
only when I found my voice as a survivor that I started to truly heal.
That's why I am so grateful to share Junior's story. It's an honor for me
to keep his memory going, knowing that his story may help save one life or
inspire someone to take action.

Suicide is a preventable crisis. There is hope. In addition to mental
health support, removing access to a gun in a moment of crisis may be the
difference between life and death. There are laws we can pass to keep
people in distress away from guns: secure gun storage laws, extreme risk
laws, and waiting periods to purchase a gun.

[ [link removed] ]Right now, we can help make sure everyone knows they have free access
to a crisis counselor if they need support—whether it's yourself, a loved
one, or someone who learns about 988 through you.

Thank you for reading my story and honoring Junior's life by taking
action,

[ [link removed] ]Portrait of Mia Livas Porter wearing a pin with a picture of her brother
that reads, "Junior. Cipriano C. Livas, Jr. RIP 7.5.92."

Mia Livas Porter
She/Her/Hers
Survivor Fellow and Volunteer Leader
California Chapter of Moms Demand Action




Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots volunteer network of
Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. As a movement of Americans fighting for
common-sense gun policies, we depend on contributions from supporters like you
to fund important work to reduce gun violence.

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