UAH hosts Out of the Darkness Walk on campus, highlighting suicide prevention

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - “I joined the military right out of high school. It was very tough for me mentally. So I had a lot of thoughts like this.”

Students like Stephen Lumbard laced up their shoes and walked more than a mile around the campus. I even joined them, for this *Out of the Darkness Walk.

It’s the result of a partnership between the university and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. As people registered for the event, organizers spoke to the crowd letting them know, you are not alone, and reminding them there are resources available to help.

“If you know anybody. Anybody that you think is struggling with mental health issues, please help get them connected with the many many resources we have.”

Participants were handed out colored beads symbolizing various ways people have been affected by mental illness. They represented showing support for others, personal struggle, and even the loss of a family member or loved one.

“For me, probably the most important one is green bead because that’s the personal struggle.”

Lumbard is a junior at UAH and one of the student organizers that helped get this event off the ground. He knows what it’s like to struggle with mental illness and wants others to know that things do get better.

“Just being able to come here today and show people that there is a way out of this and there is a way to move past those thoughts and those emotions is very important to me personally cuz obviously I’ve been there. I don’t want anyone else to feel that way.”

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