With the goal of preventing suicide, a local family has partnered with the Harris County School District to place positive, reassuring messages in front of the district’s schools and adjacent roadways.
“Don’t Give Up,” “You are Enough,” “You Matter,” “You are Loved,” and “We’re All in This Together” are the words printed on real estate size white signs with black lettering to display the simple but direct messages of reassurance to coincide with September’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Shannon Fouts shared, “We are not from Harris County. Not even from Georgia. Unfortunately, we are members of a subset of people who have lost an incredible young person to suicide.”
“Our lives were changed forever on Dec 6, 2019. Reagan took his own life. Eighteen days after his 15th birthday. Sixteen days before Christmas,” Shannon Fouts, stepmother of Reagan Fouts, shared. “Reagan was smart, funny, sassy. He always had a quick wit and smile. Reagan loved to debate and could talk politics, religion, any number of subjects. He loved soccer, Boy Scouts, family, and his pets.”
“We donated these signs you see around Harris County at multiple schools with the assistance of the Harris County School District’s Assistant Superintendent of Support Services Shelia Baker,” Fouts said. “Our goal is to give hope, make ONE person change their mind about hurting themselves in any way and help save just one adolescent. Just one person.”
Fouts and her family, husband Phillip, Kate, and Lisa, Kate’s mother, would love to see The Reagan Project/Reagan Strong trend across the world for students. Kate, currently a student at Harris County Carver Middle School, has been working toward this by encouraging teachers to speak openly about suicide.
Baker stated, “While suicide prevention is important to address year-round, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month provides a dedicated time to come together with collective passion and strength around a difficult topic. The truth is, we can all benefit from honest conversations about mental health conditions and suicide. Just one conversation can change a life because one life lost is too many.”
“There are no words to describe how devastating losing a son or brother has been. There is a huge hole in our lives where Reagan should be,” Fouts shared. “Our message is there is hope. There is help. Talk to your parents, counselors, SRO at school. If you or a friend know someone is hurting, reach out. Get them help. Let them know they are loved.”
The Harris County School District is in Hamilton, Georgia.
