By Stefanie Williams, Preventionist 

On Tuesday July 16, 2024 one of PIK’s partnering organization’s- Mental Health Association hosted a screening of “My Ascension” at the AMC movie theater in Rockaway NJ. My Ascension is a story of both tragedy and hope when a young lady by the name of Emma Benoit, attempted to take her life at the young age of 16. Struggling with daily pressures of academic perfection, her body image, relationships with peers and her family and extreme depression and obsessive anxious thoughts, Emma felt that ending her life was the best solution to heal her troubles.

Emma knew her Father owned a firearm and figured that using that weapon on herself would be the easiest way out. Immediately after discharging the weapon while lying on the floor of her home unable to feel any part of her body, she realized she had made a huge mistake.

Emma was immediately paralyzed. She would need the aid of a wheelchair and years of laborious work in physical therapy and rehabilitation facilities. After her suicide attempt Emma realized that she regretted her choice and vowed to work towards making sure that youth in Louisianna would have the chance to speak up if they were feeling similar pressures and mental health struggles that she felt. With this new outlook and appreciation for life she began her beautiful and healing work with speaking engagement and visiting individuals struggling with their mental health.

Tragically, after a few more teens died by suicide in her area, including her friend Karen whom she became close with during an advocacy walk, she and other teens along with a School Board brought the initiative of a “Hope Squad” to their local High School- a peer lead support group to help teens struggling with their mental health. With the Hope Squad actively in one School district in Louisianna, Emma hopes that the word would spread and the supportive work of Hope Squads can flourish through more schools in Louisianna and beyond.

Now Emma says she is fulfilled and feels she can live life as normally as she used to before being in a wheelchair, she just adjusts how she does certain things. Emma is now Married and living very happily and continues her noble suicide prevention work.