Brighton – Nancy Page sits outside Starbucks, surprisingly upbeat, even though she is about to tell her sad story for the umpteenth time.
In 1971, when Page was eight months pregnant with her second son, her mother killed herself. Then, almost three decades later, after years of struggling with depression, Page’s oldest son, Case, killed himself.
Page decided she had to do something or be dragged under herself.
In an effort to spread suicide awareness and vanquish the taboo surrounding discussion of such matters, Page started telling her story. And she founded Project CASE, a suicide prevention and education campaign in Adams County.
“There is a hole in my heart that never is going to heal,” Page said, sipping her coffee. “But I really try to make that count for something.”
Adams County has the highest suicide rate among the metro-area counties, averaging 17 1/2 suicides per 100,000 people since 1990. The statewide rate over the same period is 15.7. And this year, with at least 65 suicides, the county has tied a record.
But out of Adams County’s grief, said Page and other advocates, has come a unique approach to suicide prevention and awareness, one led aggressively by parents and loved ones of people who committed suicide. They call themselves suicide survivors.
One group, which started in Adams County, now has chapters around the globe, and the county has formed a suicide prevention task force. County commissioners recently named September suicide prevention and awareness month.
Later this year, the National Council for Suicide Prevention will hold its annual conference in the county.
“There is a movement in this country that has never existed before,” said Dar Emme of Westminster, who, with her husband, Dale, founded the Yellow Ribbon campaign after their son killed himself. “The core of that is survivors. Survivors’ voices are being heard like never before.”
The highest suicide rates in Colorado are generally found on the Western Slope, and Colorado, where deaths from suicide outpace those from car accidents, has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation.
It is difficult to know why Rocky Mountain states in general – and certain Colorado counties in particular – struggle so much with suicide, said Karen Mason, head of the state office of suicide prevention. Perhaps it is a combination of the region’s low population density or the West’s cultural emphasis on self- reliance, she said.
“Access to services is a big thing,” she said. “The other thing is the stigma. Who wants to have their car sitting in front of a mental health center?”
The Yellow Ribbon campaign has chapters in every state and in 47 countries. Its motto is, “It’s OK to ask 4 help.”
“The positive thing about it is that people are now talking about suicide,” Dale Emme said. “And you have to talk about it to … find the solution.”
That is exactly Page’s goal, which is why she devotes herself to helping suicide survivors, running a support group and educating others about suicide warning signs.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last four years,” she said. “I’d trade it all to have Case back. But that’s not possible.”
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
