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Life on a ledge

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* If you do nothing else today or this weekend (because it’s kind of long), read this heart-wrenching story by Frank Main.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:19 pm

Comments

Heart wrenching is right Rich. Thank you for sharing that story, I would not have read it otherwise.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:37 pm
Sad. Lost a sister to depression after she witness our brother collapse and die from a heart condition on the school play ground. People treat depression as something that can be cured, as a witness to it my family, you can only manage it, there is no cure. There is more of this out there than what people want to acknowledge.

Comment by Gus Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:42 pm
Wow that’s tough. People don’t get enough backstory to situations like these.

Comment by Boone's is Back Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:48 pm
Wow

Comment by L.A. Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:48 pm
A very sad story. Mental illness is a very difficult thing,for all parties, but especially for the person with it. We have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.

Comment by pool boy Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:50 pm
Good luck and godspeed to all dealing with everything behind the scenes

Comment by Silent Majority Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:53 pm
Wow.

Comment by Centennial Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:54 pm
Two and one-half hrs Kendra sat on that ledge contemplating her fate. TWO AND ONE-HALF HRS. I can’t help but wonder if the outcome would’ve been different if just one bystander had reached out to her. Put down the camera, put down the cell phone, and just engage another human being who’s hurting. Don’t forget to tell people how much they mean to you because you never know what inner demons a person is fighting at any given time. Such a heartbreaking story!

Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 2:58 pm
Tragic and poignant.

This is the sort of writing that newspaper editors ought to encourage. It is something of a rarity to read an in depth article like this in print media.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 3:00 pm
A high school classmate (and briefly a teammate) of mine jumped into a frozen lake a few years back. There were reports that of people witnessing him staring into the lake spanning 8 hours. I’ve often thought about what ran through his mind for 8 hours before he decided to end his life. Can an entire life be recalled in 8 hours? Can an entire future?

Comment by AlfondoGonz Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 3:01 pm
I have no words.

Comment by FormerParatrooper Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 3:15 pm
Tough read.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 3:18 pm
feel very badly for her children.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 3:21 pm
Extremely moving summary on such a personal level. Main is an amazing journalist.

Comment by A guy Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 3:39 pm
Sad.

Mental illness and addiction take quite a toll on human beings. Some take the ultimate sacrifice and end their own lives.

Comment by JDuc Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 3:39 pm
What an amazing piece. Trying not to tear up at the kids getting her marathon bib. Kudos to the author and to the editors that encouraged and/or allowed this piece to happen even if it breaks with conventional newspaper practices. Really this is the kind of stuff newspapers need to do to stay relevant.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 4:05 pm
wow. so sad.

Comment by shytown Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 4:12 pm
Thanks Rich for bringing attention to this article. Though mental illness and addiction played a part in this tragic story, I feel she made the conscious deliberate decision to end her life. She was sober, connected, focused and possibly triggered by her medical condition - though not confirmed - but chose to dramatically end her life. Very tough read, sad for her children and family and I feel for those trying to save her as well.

Comment by Captain Illini Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 4:20 pm
Thanks for posting this, Rich. I had seen the headline for this article, but I would not have read it if you had not posted it on your blog.

I often wonder what more can be done to tackle mental illness from a policy perspective and otherwise. For instance, I wonder what needs to happen to reduce the stigma attached with mental illness.

Of course, there are no easy answers to anything as complex and befuddling as an extreme mental illness. As I have frequently said to friends seeking to understand the reason for a suicide involving someone they know, it is impossible to find a rational explanation to the most irrational action that a human being can take.

Comment by Wish I could write like Frank Main Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 4:25 pm
The mental illness that leads one to this point is so invasive and often unseen by others. On our ‘quiet’ street in a nice suburb, a teenager committed suicide 2 doors down one way and a middle aged man did the same two doors the other way. It devastates families. We all need to pray for and try to help the many souls out there suffering, often in silence. Thanks for sharing this article, Rich.

Comment by Suburbs Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 4:43 pm
Difficult but important. A very close, longtime friend of mine was one of the 445 from 2015. He leapt in front of an oncoming Red Line train, and I am equally troubled a year later both by his death and for those who may have witnessed it, particularly the conductor and firefighters. It’s sad to think of people feeling so without hope.

Comment by Bill F. Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 4:47 pm
After re-reading what I’d posted, I should expound in my saying that she chose to do this…yes, she was suffering - mentally - but to me her action was her taking control of her last action where most of her life was out of control…but alas, was it really after all. Sad, very sad.

Comment by Captain Illini Friday, Sep 23, 16 @ 4:49 pm