William's 16th Birthday Party
Our family celebrates birthdays with a dinner and cake. William wanted to have italian beef for his birthday. Even though we have all had at italian beef at least five times in the past couple weeks, we had it again for William. For his birthday this year we started a journal for all of us to write things we remember about him, things he liked, places we went, things he said. We also started making friendship bracelets in his favorite colors, teal and purple, to wear and remember him. It was nice to see that night that his friends also wore bracelets and bandanas with his favorite colors.
William had 12 friends show up at the house for his birthday. They had all been playing Jedi Ninja Tag, one of William's favorite games. We sang happy birthday and his friends helped blow out his candles. It's sad that William couldn't be here today to enjoy his birthday party and to see how much he is loved. It was helpful for us too to have his friends here, to know they cared and to help us through the night. They stayed for almost two hours visiting with us before they headed off to play Capture the Flag with glow sticks, another one of William's favorite games.
At school this week the Key Club worked on making t-shirts for William's friends to wear on this birthday. You can see some of them wearing them in the photo below. William was known to be seen wearing his girlfriend's rainbow scarf and for the following quote, "I thought tough men wear pink, real men wear rainbows." This is the quote they used to make the 50 t-shirts. They even ran out of shirts, some of his best friends didn't even get one.
4 comments:
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know what we are going to be doing at West Campus this year, to remember and Honor William.
I have been working with Miss Theel and the Administration to do awareness. We are starting the year out in September with Suicide Awareness Week. In my research that the colors they use for Suicide Awareness are Teal and Purple. We are making ribbons to pass out to all 1600 students. I am sending a card to your parents today with this in there too.
Miss Theel also has a few other things to do in mind also.
I will keep you updated on what is going on.
I think of your family and William everyday.
Sincerely,
Maegen
Maegan and friends of William,
We greatly appreciate you sharing your memories of William. In doing so you help to keep him alive. If a memory of how he touched your life comes to mind, we'd love to hear about it.
I am all for suicide awareness! I have never known the meaning of a true loss or what forever meant until losing my brother. There is nothing that can bring him back and nothing that will ever replace him. I hope that anyone considering suicide will tell a friend.
Hi again,
I hope it is ok that I signed up to do the walk with you. I joined your team.
Here is a copy of what all of the Tower[homeroom] teachers are going to read on next wedenesday:
During the past school year, McHenry West lost a student when he took his own life. Suicide is a serious problem in high school today. It is the third leading cause of death for people in high school and college, and suicide accounts for 12.3% of all deaths annually for the age group of 15-24 year olds.
Key Club is starting this year at McHenry West, in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Week. Along with ribbons that will be handed out, there will be a lifeline card. On this lifeline card, there are numbers to call if needed. The colors of the ribbons are Teal and Purple. Nationally, the colors Purple and Teal represent Suicide Prevention and healing. These ribbons serve as reminders that suicide is an issue, and that we need to talk about it.
In 2007, 14.5% of United States High School students reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide. Students do not realize how serious suicide is. Over one million people die from suicide worldwide each year, and many more make suicide attempts. At college, 9.5% of students had seriously contemplated suicide.
In one day, there are 89.4 suicides. Every 16.1 minutes, there is a suicide. For every completed adolescent suicide, there are an estimated 100 attempted suicides. 15% of suicide deaths in Illinois occur among people 15-24 years of age. More adolescents, age 15-24 die by suicide than by malignant neoplasm’s, diseases of heart, chronic respiratory diseases and congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities, COMBINED. This is a serious matter.
If you need to cope with a suicide of a friend, or relative, here are some strategies to consider. Spend time with your friends and family, they know you the best, and know how to talk to you. Try to open with your feelings, don’t bottle it up. Find a teacher, or counselor to talk to. Laugh, because laughing helps relive tension. Do not tolerate physical, emotional, or sexual abuse from anyone, if you have had, or still do, get any abuse, get help immediately. Write, journal, or keep a diary. Writing helps to express yourself, and not have to talk to anybody about it, you can just let them read your journal, and they will understand.
We hope that each and every one of you hears the call to help during this week. Take this week to remember and reflect. Just know that it could be your friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, your classmate, or just someone you wished you would have said “hi” to. Take this ribbon and card and remember that suicide is not inevitable, it is preventable.
Here is one of my favorite memories of William:
When we first started talking, he would tell me all about his trip to Germany, and I would tell him how much I want to go to Germany, he asked if I had ever had brause, and I of course hadnt, he told me how he loved brause, and he brought me 2 pieces to school so I could try it. He told me that he didnt have much left, and I told him that it was ok, and he still brought me the pieces of brause.
I will keep you posted as to how things are going in school.
Sincerely,
Maegen
Here is a link to a picture of some of the ribbons:
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/flip_n_flop_91/105_1629.jpg
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