DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — Just over 20 years ago, Cheryl Hornung’s life changed forever when her daughter Caitlin lost her battle with cancer before her eighth birthday. Then, in September 2024, her daughter Abby died by suicide.
“I was not really educated in suicide awareness or even cancer treatments until I had to face it directly,” Hornung said. “I think education is important on both positions.”
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Already the director of Cailtin’s Smiles, which provides crafts to children in the hospital, Hornung decided to launch Abby’s Angels to raise awareness for suicide prevention. The organization held a training Monday, where nearly 20 people learned how to identify warning signs and how to have conversations with loved ones.
“Suicide isn’t a normal conversation. It’s still whispered about in the hallways, whispered about in church groups and beyond,” said Govan Martin, a former Pennsylvania State Police trooper and founder of the Suicide Prevention Alliance, who helped lead the training. In 1980, his brother Michael died by suicide. It left him feeling like “a lost soul,” he said.
Attendees at the training came from a variety of backgrounds, which Martin said was reassuring because he hopes conversations about suicide will no longer be taboo.
For those who couldn’t make the training, Hornung left a message.
“You are loved,” she said. “You just may not realize it in that bad moment of time.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call 988.
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