Risk
Factors
For Suicide
It is estimated that
between 6 and 32
survivors exist for
each suicide.
A survivor is a family
member or friend of a
person who has died
by suicide.
Surviving the loss of
a loved one to sui-cide
is a risk factor
for suicide.
Surviving family
members and close
friends are deeply
impacted by each
suicide and experi-ence
a range of com-plex
grief reactions
including guilt, anger,
abandonment, denial,
helplessness and
shock.
SOURCE: NATIONAL
SUICIDE PREVENTION
LIFELINE
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com
GRACELYN
ELMENDORF, lost
her husband of 21 years,
Skipper Duffee, and her
19-year-old son Robert to
suicide. Gracelyn founded
Robert’s Hope in Flor-ence,
South Carolina, to
educate students from
grades 6-12 on depression,
suicide awareness and
prevention. As an RN she
has served as chair of the
Mental Health America
chapter in Florence.
LOUISE RIPPY
LANE, lost her father
Fred, president of Rippy
automotive. Co-leads
Wilmington’s Touched
by Suicide, is on leave of
absence from the North
Carolina chapter of the
American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention.
CRISTEN
ROGGEMANN,
MED., LCSW, LCA-SA,
Therapist, School
Based Services Program
Director Coastal Horizons
Wilmington Health Ac-cess
for Teens Clinic.
REV. ADRIAN
SHEPARD, retired pas-tor,
lost his second of four
sons, Kirby, age 16, in
1985 while living in Char-lotte,
where he and his
wife, Joyce, joined Touched
By Suicide. Two years later
they moved to Wilmington
to serve as pastor of United
Advent Christian Church.
They helped organize
Touched by Suicide in
Wilmington. Their young-est
son, Kenny, 36, died
in January 2012 from a
vicious infection.
YUNA SHIN, Cape
Fear Community College
German instructor and
faculty advisor for the
CFCC Feminist Alliance
student organization.
Hunter Cooper was her
student.
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