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Lehigh Valley teen/suicide survivor to host 5K run, walk Saturday for mental health awareness

Morning Call - 9/9/2021

Rayne Solt has reached some mental health milestones — it’s been almost eight months since the last time they were hospitalized, and they haven’t self-harmed in four months.

The 14-year-old, who uses they/them pronouns, attempted suicide last year, but survived. Now Rayne is working to spread throughout the Lehigh Valley a very simple, but powerful message:

“You are not alone.”

“It is a big issue,” Rayne said. “And we need to talk about it because innocent lives are hurting themselves because they think that no one is going to love them, or no one is going to help them, and they can’t help themselves.”

Rayne, of Northampton, is hosting a “Miles for Mental Health” 5K run/walk Saturday, benefitting the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization working to increase mental health advocacy, education, support and public awareness. The event, which has so far raised $1,000 for the alliance, starts at 8 a.m. and will be held at the Ironton Rail Trail in Coplay.

The effort is part of Rayne’s National Honor Society leadership project at 21st Century Cyber Charter School, but it’s also about breaking down stigmas around mental health, Rayne said during a phone interview Wednesday. They described the four-page speech they plan on delivering at the start of the event, detailing their own struggle with mental health and depression.

“There are people who are dying like [every] 40 seconds, every day, because they feel that they are alone, and they feel like they can’t talk about their mental health,” they said. “And I just hope that, with my run, I’ll hopefully break down [some of that] stigma, even if it’s just a little — even if it’s just in my community — just so that we don’t have that happen so often.”

More than 700,000 people die by suicide every year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, which breaks down to one person every 40 seconds. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. And, in 2019, Pennsylvania ranked fourth in the nation for suicide, with 1,896 deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rayne’s event is one of several throughout the region this week aiming a spotlight at mental health. This week is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Week, a stretch during September — which is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month — that culminates Friday, World Suicide Prevention Day.

It’s a time when officials and health advocates across the region are encouraging residents to check in with their coworkers, friends and family, and to start conversations about mental health.

“If there’s one takeaway, it is have the conversation,” Allison E. Frantz said. “If you see someone who is showing signs or acting differently, and it bothers you, you must be right about something. So, ask the question.”

Frantz, coordinator for the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Lehigh County, explained how asking questions about suicide — including practicing saying the word out loud to destigmatize it — and about suicidal thoughts can help someone who has the impulse to die by suicide decide against it, and help them make it through “for another round.”

Ask clearly and be straightforward, Frantz said — Are you thinking about suicide? Are you thinking about hurting yourself?

“What that has done is freed up the person to talk about the subject, which has been taboo,” she said. “And when someone asks that question, the listener knows that person, the questioner, is going to be receptive to what is being said. They’re not going to shut it down or close it down.

“So, it frees them to actually say what they are thinking about. And the questioner has to be ready to hear things they may not want to hear.”

And while it’s important to have resources available, like hotline numbers, or offer to connect someone experiencing suicidal thoughts or impulses to a counselor, therapist or other professional help, a conversation is a good place to start.

“They may not be ready to talk the first time. They may say, ‘I’m fine. Don’t worry about it,’” Frantz said. “And then they’re still doing the same thing. Pay attention. Wait a little bit, [then] try again.”

So far this year, 32 people have died by suicide in Lehigh County. During the same time period last year, there were 48 suicides, she said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic could have affected it and “one year a trend does not make.”

However, statistics show for each death, there’s something like 25 suicide attempts, illustrating how wide-spread suicide can be.

And suicide doesn’t just touch one economic or racial group, age or gender.

“It affects everyone and anyone,” Frantz said. “And you can’t say that because someone is well enough in a ritzy neighborhood that this does not affect them. That is not the case.”

For instance, 16.2% of students across the commonwealth had seriously considered attempting suicide, according to the 2019 Pennsylvania Youth Survey. And, 42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth, according to The Trevor Project’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health.

While mental health has become less and less of a taboo topic, it’s still important to work to break down stigmas surrounding suicide, Rayne said, and that’s why they’re sharing their story.

“You’re never too young to make a difference, and you’re never too young to be struggling with mental health, you’re never too old,” Rayne said. “You’re not alone, and you can always make a difference, as long as you put enough work into what you want to change.”

Interested in registering for “Miles for Mental Health”? Go to https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Coplay/MilesforMentalHealthNAMI.

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Morning Call reporter Molly Bilinski can be reached at mbilinski@mcall.com.

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