“If I die, I can’t be a surgeon”
Mady Schmidt
Age: 17
School: Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming
Loss to suicide: My brother’s name was Evan. He was 8 years older than me, I think. When I was little, he was my hero. … He was 11 when he died. Her own struggle: I’ve gone through that stuff myself. I can see where he was, and it makes it easier to understand. … I didn’t WANT to (die), but it felt like it was my only way out. At the end of the day, I don’t want to die. I just want to be happy.
What helped: I kept it to myself for, like, a really really long time, until one day I told one of my teachers. That teacher saved my life. Honestly, I would not be here unless I told that person. So, finding the courage for me, that was, like, once I did it, it felt so much better. It’s crazy to think that with one conversation, my life is completely different.
Ambition: I have plans for my life. I want to be a surgeon. If I die, I can’t be a surgeon.