I Am Ashley Jadine...

I am Ashley Jadine Duncan. I was 17 years old when I committed suicide. I never fit the profile of someone who others thought would contemplate taking my own life. You see, people think there is a "profile" for people who commit suicide. I did not fit the profile.  However, the warning signs were there.

Look at me. I was beautiful! These pictures show me when I was happy. I had LOTS of friends. My family loved me. I made good grades. I enjoyed helping others. I played sports. Everything about me said "high achiever".  On top of everything else, I was an award-winning, talented artist. My family was not economically at risk and I attended one of the top high schools in my city. I had nearly 4,000 followers on Twitter and hundreds more on Tumblr and Facebook, where I ultimately shared my feelings up to the point in which I took my life. My "friends" "liked" my posts, but no one reached out to help me. When people saw me, they first noticed my smile . . . I knew how to wear the mask well! Because of my mask, people thought I was joking, until I finally got a gun.

My mom tried to help me. The laws allowed me to slip through the cracks because at age 16, as long as I "said" I wasn't going to hurt myself, I got to go home. I'm someone so many people loved. I am your friend. I am your child. I am your spouse. I am your neighbor. I am a kid on your child's sports team. I am your co-worker. Or maybe, I am you.  I died on January 30, 2012, but many like me are still going through the same or similar struggles and considering suicide.

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I expressed my pain. I cried out for help in many ways.  Yet, it seemed to be hiding in plain sight. Who is crying out for help in your life? Maybe the person crying out for help is you. Start here and get them the help they so desperately need. The next tab will give you some resources to recognize their cries and Save A Life!