The following message aims to increase your knowledge and understanding of suicide and firearm suicide in America.

We understand that the content may be personal for you.

If you or someone you know is in a time of emotional crisis or needs to talk to someone, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line for free from anywhere in the US.

John, you probably remember your first real heartbreak. It feels like the world is ending.

I often wonder if 17 years ago, someone had said something as simple as, "Hey Jeffrey, you seem upset. Maybe you should leave the gun here today," he might still be alive.

I wish I could have told him that.

I wish I could tell him, "Hey, that first heartbreak is the worst, but later on you will look back and be relieved or even happy it didn't work out."

But on March 9, 2003, following a break up with his girlfriend, my only brother Jeffrey died by suicide with a gun. He was just 21 years old.

With any instance of suicide, there are complex contributing factors; But the availability of guns and death by suicide are intimately linked. When my brother experienced his first heartbreak, access to lethal means meant the difference between fleeting impulsive thoughts and an irreversible fatal mistake.

That's why as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month comes to a close, I want to tell you that there is hope.

For more than a decade, I struggled to talk with my family and friends about Jeffrey. It wasn't until speaking with an extremely passionate Moms Demand Action volunteer that I began to understand the critical role easy access to a firearm played in my brother's death. With the support of the Everytown Survivor Network, I began to speak out. I've been fighting for gun sense ever since.

While I can't say for sure that any one law or policy would have saved Jeffrey's life, I do think some awareness could have disrupted the events of that day.

John, elevating suicide prevention awareness in our work and increasing opportunities to take action is more than just this one month. There is hope and opportunity to save lives from firearm suicide, but only if we remain committed to that goal.

As National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month comes to a close, I want to share with you some resources from Everytown for Gun Safety to help find support, empowerment, and purpose in this fight:

• The Rise of Firearm Suicide Among Young Americans: Earlier this month, we published a new report detailing how the suicide rate among young people is at a record high, with increases every year since 2007. Please read and share the report.
• Recommendations for Action: As a part of our new report on youth firearm suicide, we've compiled a list of what we can do to prevent future tragedies: Limiting easy and immediate access to firearms; knowing the risk factors and warning signs; learning how to talk about mental health; and reaching out for help. We've also included a list of free and confidential crisis lines and suicide prevention and mental health organizations.
• Moments That Survive: Through the Everytown Survivor Network and Moments That Survive, we encourage those who have been affected by firearm suicide to share their stories. Please read and share their stories, and remember those who have been affected by firearm suicide.

My brother Jeffrey was fun-loving and popular. He was an avid athlete. He loved the outdoors, and regularly went sailing, fishing and hunting. I miss him every day.

I wish things were different, but wishing doesn't save lives. What does save lives is what we do here in this movement, the actions we take individually and collectively.

John, I am grateful to share my brother's story, because for so long, I couldn't.

Thank you for being a part of this movement. We're in this together.

Laura Abbasi
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund

P.S. If you or someone you know is in a time of emotional crisis or needs to talk to someone, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line for free from anywhere in the US.