GREENFIELD — Greenfield has been making national headlines for the wrong reasons this week as a local fourth-grader was laid to rest. The boy reportedly took his own life after relentless bullying at school and by phone.
Public outcries for justice for 10-year-old Sammy Teusch have been filling social media pages and conversations as the community struggles to comprehend how a boy so young could be pushed so far to want to take his own life.
“This death is tragic for our entire community. Our hearts break for this child’s family and friends,” Deputy Chief Charles McMichael of the Greenfield Police Department said.
While the investigation to what led up to Sammy’s death on May 5 continues, local therapists, pastors, funeral directors and healthcare providers are shining a light on resources to help families and individuals cope with suicide and suicidal ideation.
“We always encourage if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is available 24/7,” said Christina DeWitt, Healthy Community Manager for Hancock Health.
The lifeline’s website — 988lifeline.org — also offers a chat option for corresponding with a person specially trained to help those in crisis.
The website provides prevention and crisis resources and best practices for professionals, as well as stories of hope from individuals who have come to the brink of suicide and have since learned to embrace life.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2022, the latest year when statistics were available. Men died by suicide 3.85 times more than women while firearms accounted for nearly 55% of all suicide deaths that year.
The AFSP said over 49,000 Americans reportedly died by suicide in 2021, when there were an estimated 1. 7 million suicide attempts.
While the numbers are staggering, the AFSP reports that 94% of adults surveyed in the U.S. think suicide can be prevented.
‘RENEWED HOPE’
That’s the hope at Wellspring Center, a resource center within Brandywine Community Church in Greenfield.
The church’s PEACE pastor, Paul Galbraith, said the center was created to offer guidance and support for those dealing with mental health issues and addiction.
According to its website, “the heart of our team is to help individuals and families find support, renewed hope and physical, emotional, spiritual and relational stability through a grace-filled environment.”
“We know life happens, and we want the church to be the environment where people can walk through grief and struggle and joy and victory and all the things life brings,” said Galbraith.
“It’s just a safe place for people to come in and talk about what’s going on. Our Wellspring Center consistently gets people who come in who might be struggling with suicidal ideation of self-harm,” he said.
It’s a poignant topic for Galbraith, who lost a classmate to suicide during his senior year in high school.
The concept of youth suicide was fairly uncommon back then, he said, but has become increasingly more so as time goes by.
“It’s just been so alarming to us to see young people at risk of harming themselves. Unfortunately we’ve walked through that often, even in our own community,” he said.
Galbraith says the COVID pandemic that emerged in 2020 played a part in the increase of depression and anxiety among young people, and that social media and the endless access the internet provides also plays a huge role.
“I think our culture has made (suicide) a more visible option for people who are struggling,” he said. “The knowledge of what suicide is and how to harm yourself as a child is available to kids in their own phones or on their tablets.”
That’s even more reason why it’s essential for the community to support one another and for families to openly communicate, to stay on top of helping those who may be struggling, he said.
“I think oftentimes if you get down to the root of it is just that holistic distress that people feel, that there is less peace and certainty and joy in some people’s lives in our culture, and it leaves them hurting and wanting a release or a relief from that hurt,” said Galbraith.
“As a faith community we want to make sure we’re leading the way in telling people there are other options (than suicide) and helping care for one another, and certainly addressing the root cause (of mental health struggles) as well,” he said.
Galbraith went on to say that the concept of community is a gift from God.
“He created us for relationships and he created us for community and created us to live life as a family of human beings, and so for each of us to be less concerned about ourselves and more concerned about others would transform our community,” he said.
“Be that person that someone else can talk to. Be that person that notices when things aren’t right and is willing to love someone enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m concerned about you.’ We have the potential to do that, to be that unified community that really loves and watches out for and protects one another,” he continued.
‘TALK TO YOUR KIDS’
Shortly after Sammy’s death, McMichael shared a public statement from the police department urging the community to use the tragedy as a reminder to watch out for each other, especially young people who may not know where else to turn.
“Parents, now is the time to talk to your kids. There shouldn’t be anything in their lives you don’t know about — school, homework, sports, friends, every aspect of their lives. The more conversations you have about everyday life, the more comfortable they will be talking about the hard stuff,” he wrote.
He also shared that being close to someone that has died by suicide is a risk factor for child suicide, so it is essential that parents continue to openly communicate with their children in the wake of such a tragedy.
Therapists and counselors also stress the benefits of reaching out for professional help and group support when struggling or in crisis.
Wellspring Center offers a variety of mental health and addiction related groups to support individuals, teens and their families.
The Hancock Health Connection Center also connects individuals with mental health professionals and support groups throughout the community.
The center also provides quarterly QPR Training which stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — a suicide prevention training that teaches people how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and how to help others who may be in crisis.
The next class will be held at 5:30 p.m. May 22 at the McCordsville Wellness Center. To register contact the center at 317-468-4231.
