Political Quotes

“I rise to speak about ``A Beautiful Here,'' a memoir by Linda Phillips that chronicles her struggle to overcome the extraordinary grief of losing her son, Nuci, to suicide following his long battle with depression. Linda writes about an empathetic, caring, and happy child who grows increasingly distressed through adolescence. Nuci retreated from their close-knit family and, despite their efforts to support him through several periods of crisis and treatments, he succumbed to his disease. Though the family was distraught and heartbroken by Nuci's death, Linda Phillips was also appalled at the lack of supports for individuals struggling with suicide and for families who have lost loved ones to depression. At multiple points, Nuci failed to receive services or the compassionate support he needed. Indeed, after calling a crisis hotline while in college, Nuci was taken into custody by police and placed in handcuffs. Ultimately, the incident resulted in his expulsion. On another occasion, he was told to wait over a month for services when seeking support for his depression while in school. Linda also saw other families pull their children from much-needed treatment programs because they could not afford the costly care. She saw firsthand that survivors of suicide are often relegated to the shadows, met by uncomfortable silence, or blamed for their loved ones' deaths. Linda's personal account sheds light on this tragic and pervasive problem.…”