Yesterday we learned of a member of the greater fandom community in the Carolinas losing his battle with suicide. We are not at liberty to disclosed the his name but we can remember that there are members of the fandom community that have struggled and do struggle with mental illness.
Ignited by Supernatural’s (as seen on WCCB, Charlotte’s The CW and CW stations everywhere) Jared Padalecki’s #AlwaysKeepFighting, #HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.
Many of the authors who have attended ConCarolinas as guests are involved in this campaign including (but not limited to) – David B. Coe, Jeanne Adams, Nancy Northcott, Aaron Rosenberg, Clay and Susan Griffith, Darin Kennedy, Jon Sprunk, James Maxey, Catherine Asaro, Misty Massey, John G. Hartness, Gail Z. Martin, Ron Garner, Davey Beauchamp, Rod Belcher, Emily Leverett, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Tera Fulbright, Tamsin Silver, Stuart Jaffe, Alexandra Christian, Jake Bible, Jay Requard, and more.
Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hope for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
To find out more about #HoldOnToTheLight, find a list of participating authors and blog posts, or reach a media contact, go to HoldOnToTheLight Facebook Group
If you are in an immediately crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Thank you so much for being part of #HoldOnToTheLight!
ConCarolinas (June 2-4) will host a #HoldOnToTheLight panel. Purchase a membership to attend ConCarolinas here.