BOISE, Idaho — Inside the camera roll of then-14-year-old Charlie Mclellen's phone, the picture of a humorous and loving teenager paints itself.
Mimicking voices, acting out characters, strumming the guitar while fending off his older sister's playful attacks; an outsider might not know Charlie needed help.
"It's kind of a life-shattering experience losing a child to suicide," Charlie's mom Natalie Needham said. "They say that losing a child is like an amputation or losing a limb. That's something that you never recover from or heal from you just learn to live without what you once had."
Charlie had a long battle with his mental health, according to multiple family members. He received treatment and counseling; they exhausted the available resources, according to Needham.
Charlie took his own life in April of 2022.
"I think this is the moment when I broke when I realized what I was doing on the internet searching for a headstone for my kid," Charlie's father Chris Mclellen said. "I came across this [angel statue]. The facial expression, it felt like what I was feeling inside was being represented by this."
The statue has become a symbol of hope for the family; it's a project spearheaded by Chris. He aims to put the statue in a public space to ensure people see it.
Ignoring the reality of suicide does not make it better, according to Chris.
"I can buy some land, of course, and tuck it back in the cemetery. But that's not where I want it to live. I want people to see this every day," Chris said. "People are gonna wonder. They're gonna talk abou it. They're gonna ask about it. It's gonna come up in conversation."
ASIST - a suicide prevention training - influenced Chris' mission with the statue because people suffering the most often fall deep emotional isolation. A genuine deep meaningful connection serves as the antidote, according to Chris.
"Connection is the cure," Chris said. "Don't just keep it to yourself. Talk about it. Talk with someone about it, and ask them about it too."
Needham as turned to an outlet of her own, too. She created an organization called 'Change for Charlie.' It's a collective effort to gather resources for teens and families - to ensure the next family doesn't have to go through the same pain.
"it's kind of a conversation starter, I guess. And ultimately, I'd like to see some real effective change come out of it," Needham said. "There were other factors, I think, that were unknown to us at the time. The bullying topic, which is kind of a hot topic and a little bit of a catchphrase, but it's a really big problem."
Teens between the ages of 15-19 are 35% more likely to take their own life today than they were in 1999, according to CDC data interpreted by Change for Charlie. Additionally, Idaho has the 12th highest suicide rate in the nation.
In the 2022-23 school year alone, Boise School District (BSD) has seen an alarming number of teens die by suicide. BSD Superintendent Coby Dennis and Boise School Board President Dave Wagers sent a letter Tuesday to district families explaining the gravity of this public health issue.
"The reality of our community's ongoing struggle with mental health has hit our school families hard this year. In only a few short weeks, our crisis response team has been called into action for multiple student deaths and one teacher death," The letter said. "For far too long, Idaho has struggled with mental health challenges. Perhaps most evident is our state’s history as having one of the highest suicide rates in the country. Closer to home, however, recent studies have shown growing trends in stress, social isolation and depression among our youth."
Anyone who has an idea or can offer a home for the statue is encouraged to contact Change for Charlie here. Those experiencing suicidal thoughts can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
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