This post contains talk of suicide and mental illness and may be triggering to some readers.
One suicide is one too many. It is a disease. We all have a part in helping it by doing the work to understand it.
Louri Snider lost her son Mark to suicide on May 5th, 2019. Something nobody should ever have to experience.
After she lost her son, it became increasingly important to her to help those who were struggling with their own internal demons and break the stigma. From a 3am thought, to a now worldwide movement, Baseball For Dad was created.
Baseball was something that Mark loved. His interest started at 2 years old and carried its way through his entire life. He loved to be at the diamond, teaching his wife and children how to play. It seemed incredibly fitting to involve baseball as part of the mission to hit mental health out of the park.
The stigma surrounding mental health is a huge factor for many who are struggling. Baseball For Dad carries on Mark’s memory while raising awareness for mental health and breaks the barrier to begin speaking openly about mental illness. For the first year of Baseball For Dad, Mark’s children placed one baseball glove a month in his memory, so someone else could find it and raise awareness.
From a family tradition, more interest sparked and gloves began to move across the globe. After hearing the story behind Baseball For Dad, those who were traveling joined in by purchasing a glove and hiding it for someone else to find.
How Can You Help?
There are a few different ways that you can help.
Place a Glove – Purchase or find a gently used baseball glove of any size or brand. Next, visit the website to print the information card. Then pick a location to leave the glove. Once you’ve placed your glove, take a photo and share it with [email protected] with the location it was left at. If your glove is being placed outside, it may be a good idea to leave it in a clear plastic bag to prevent damage.
Advocate for Mental Health First Aid Training – There are plenty of workplaces that require you to have some form of first aid training advocate for Mental Health First Aid Training. It is just as important to be able to assist someone in a mental health crisis as it is to assist someone with a broken leg.
Reach Out – Take a moment to reach out to the people in your life that you care about. You never know when someone is struggling, remind them “it’s okay not to be okay”.
SUICIDE HOTLINE (Canada) – 833-456-4566
There are so many important messages to take away from this interview. Grab a seat, get comfortable and let’s go Parking with MF.
Thank you JJ Stewart Motors for allowing me to share these truly inspiring and informative stories.
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