Madison Holleran: One Year Later
As university students in Philadelphia, we have all heard of the unfortunate tragedy that occurred about one year ago, on January 17, 2014, Madison Holleran’s suicide. Everyone was shocked to find out that the beautiful, Ivy League university student and track star, took her life. Recently, her parents released her suicide note, giving us some insight into the mindset of this girl. Her parents hope that by releasing their daughter’s suicide note that they will be able to promote awareness about mental health and depression, instead of waiting until it’s too late.
The suicide note left behind by the bubbly, outgoing, and intelligent University of Pennsylvania student reveal her state of mind, as well as the gifts she left behind for her family. She left her mother several necklaces, chocolate for her father, cookies for her grandparents, and a gift for her sister. The track star revealed her feelings of being trapped and experiencing depression as well as contemplating self-harm.
The note reads:
“’I thought how unpleasant it is to be locked out, and I thought how it is worse perhaps to be locked in,” she wrote in the note. “For you mom…the necklaces…For you, Nana & Papa…GingerSnaps (always reminds me of you)…For you Ingrid…The Happiness Project. And Dad…the Godiva chocolate truffles. I love you all…I’m sorry. I love you.’”
In the United States, one in four adults experience mental illness or are affected by mental illness in a given year. Of those adults, one in seventeen live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or major depression. Not only are these numbers staggering, and often overlooked, but suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and the third leading cause of death in for ages 15 to 24.
All too often, the issues of mental health are ignored until it is too late. Events like this remind us that even people that seem to be happy and have it all together can be more unhappy than the rest of us and just good at hiding their feelings. It is important to remember, that everyone is experiencing their own issues and everyone has their own problems, and not to take life for granted.
To read more about Madison and her tragedy, see here: http://www.inquisitr.com/1778931/madison-holleran-suicide-note-parents-reveal-late-track-stars-heartbreaking-letter/
To read more facts about mental illness in America, see here: