HOUSTON — ***WARNING*** This month’s Texans Helping Texans story covers the topic of suicide.
Cheryl Duncan, a registered nurse, has spent a lifetime helping others. Twelve years ago, there was one person she just couldn’t save: her daughter, Ashley Jadine Duncan.
“Beyond every struggle, there is light. She said she couldn’t do it anymore,” Duncan recalls. "She said, ‘I took my dad’s gun. I love you. Goodbye.’”
When Ashley was diagnosed with depression during her freshman year of high school, Duncan said she and Ashley’s father – a former Houston Police Department officer – tried it all: counseling, hospitalizations, medications, prayer, and above all, unconditional love.
Ashley loved playing volleyball and music, and she had friends at Bellaire High School.
Duncan says while Ashley would appear to be stable and thriving at times, her social media pages painted a darker picture.
Ashley’s last post on X was a picture of the gun she used to end her life.
“I never saw any of those posts, until after her death,” Duncan said.
Duncan, overwhelmed by her loss, turned her pain into purpose the same year she lost Ashley. She started The Ashley Jadine Foundation, in hopes of helping other families struggling with the same issues.
The love and devotion she poured into her daughter, she now channels into her speaking engagements at schools and churches, spreading awareness about depression and helping parents keep tabs on their child’s mental health.
“Families need to spend a little more time together and do a little more listening," she said.
On Sept. 14, AJF will host its annual H.O.P.E Walk – Helping One Person Everyday. It helps raise money for the AJF One Wing Scholarships.
This year, Duncan gave out six scholarships to graduating seniors.
“Giving those scholarships and seeing those young people smile – it’s hard,” Duncan said. "But I do it for Ashley.”
For more information on the Ashley Jadine Foundation and to sign up for the H.O.P.E walk, click here.
Suicide prevention starts with recognizing the warning signs of suicide and taking them seriously. Talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life.
If you or anyone you know needs help, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text the lifeline at 741741 or chat online here.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
You can also reach out to UT Physicians here.