MINERAL RIDGE, Ohio (WKBN) — Saturday is International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, and thousands in the area have been impacted.
In honor of the day, the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board announced a new quiet space for survivors.
It’s a new reflection garden for those impacted by suicide or drug overdose. Executive Director Duane Piccirilli announced the dedication on Saturday.
“Today focused on the survivors because, if someone loses someone to suicide, there’s even an additional stigma– because there’s a thought that people chose to leave. What I think we’ve learned is that nobody wants to leave, nobody wants to die,” Piccirilli said.
There have been 50 deaths due to suicide in Mahoning County since January. In 2023, there were 54.
Piccirilli says each year, the number has gone up, but they’re trying to change the trend. He says for every suicide death, there are hundreds impacted by the loss.
“Every suicide death, over 130 people are affected. So, if you take the 50, roughly 6,000 people in the Valley are going to be affected by suicide during the holidays. That is 6,000 people that have to go through Thanksgiving and Christmas with the loss of a loved one,” he said.
Survivors at the dedication ceremony were given Cosmo’s flowers, which symbolize resiliency. The garden will be a gazebo surrounded by different colored roses, each with its own meaning. It’s located at the Mahoning County Campus of Care on East County Line Road in Mineral Ridge.
Piccirilli says the location of the gazebo makes it accessible for those across the Valley who may want to use the space.
“Not just Mahoning County, but even people in Trumbull County, because they are right on the border. We want a place where they can go and be alone, but not really be alone, because we’re a community,” he said. “The best thing you can tell someone who has lost a loved one is that they’re not alone, and that’s what we want to get across.”
If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis, call 988.
