TULSA — Heather Borsuk is a suicide survivor.
She’s not alone, of course, there are millions of Americans who have lost loved ones to suicide.
She tells KRMG she had to take action - or possibly surrender to the darkness herself - when her sister took her own life in 2017.
[Hear the KRMG In Depth Report on the 2024 Walk Out of Darkness HERE]
She sought help with a support group - which led her to participate in a Walk Out of Darkness, and then bring that concept to Tulsa.
She has co-chaired the event every year since, and tells KRMG it has truly helped her carry on - despite the pain she and her family still struggle with to this day.
She tells KRMG they recently had a conversation on that topic.
“Sunday night, with some of my family members, we went through this tragedy together, and the words that were used is ‘something broke in my, I‘m broken.’ And, you know, that was like, it was for (sic) our entire family was shattered, in a spiritual, mental, emotional, and even physical sense.”
But with time, she says, she‘s grown the scar tissue that allows her to discuss her sister’s death without breaking into tears or feeling like she wants to scream.
She wants others to know there‘s a community that understands what it is to survive, that there’s help for people who are considering self harm, and that for all of those people there is hope.
The 2024 Walk Out of Darkness will be held at Jenks River Walk on Saturday, Nov. 2nd.
Walk up registration begins at 9:00 a.m., the program begins at 10:00 a.m.
There will be many organizations on hand to impart information on prevention, survival, support and healing.
If possible, they ask that participants register in advance; it is a fundraiser, so people are urged to form teams and get their walks sponsored.
You can register at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website.