‘U R Not Alone’
El Dorado student wants to raise awareness about teen suicide
According to the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young Americans age 15-24. This stat hits close to home in El Dorado as a local teen and El Dorado High star running back, Alex “AJ” Hicks took his
own life earlier this year.
And it is this proximity to home that has inspired El Dorado High student and close friend to Hicks to raise awareness about mental health and teen suicide. Kayla Hill, a rising junior, is holding an event on September 5 entitled “Going Live for Suicide Awareness: Honoring Alex “AJ” Hicks. Remember ‘U R Not Alone.’”
“I’m going to have speakers and counselors on site during the event. I want to reach out to my community and let people know what’s going on with teen suicide. Some people think it is something that just impacts white families but it affects the black community as well and in particular black male teens, a lot more than people know,” Hill explained. “And we just want people to know there are resources available and people they can talk to so they don’t have to resort to suicide or feeling alone.”
Kayla is right about teen suicide impacting the black community. According to The Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics, black boys and black girls are more likely to than their peers in other racial and ethnic groups to report suicide attempts. This is troubling because attempts are the most prominent risk factor associated with suicide death, according to those same experts.
Losing her friend in this manner was already jarring but it also didn’t help that when Hicks took his life, the nationwide quarantine around COVID-19 was starting. Hill and a lot of her peers had to grieve alone.
“It was really hard. We were all at home and we weren’t around each other to see how his death affected us. But I know it hit everybody hard; his friends, teammates, coaches and our school all took it really hard,” Hill said.
Isolation and being alone with one’s thoughts is another factor in teen suicide. The quarantine forced a lot of Alex Hicks’ school friends to try and deal with their grief in confined spaces, Hill said. As a teen that utilizes counseling services herself, Hill said she thinks right now is a great time to have this conversation around teen suicide and to let her peers know that there are outlets and resources, even during this pandemic when so much feels closed off.
“Counseling can help because I feel like teens will not say what they’re feeling at home or to their parents, so they keep it held in. And sometimes culture will play a part, especially for the boys who feel like they can’t express themselves or be vulnerable,” Hill said.
Hill has put a lot of work and effort into this event. Along with her mom, they are lining up a lot of resources.
“We have Shaneil “PJ” Yarbrough, (the) Rev. Barry Dobson, a counselor from Little Rock, a counselor from Smackover, and a counseling group from Magnolia coming to the event. So there will be tons of help and resources there,” Hill said.
While the event will be centered around teen suicide and mental health, the atmosphere will be festive and uplifting with food and music. Everyone is invited to come and partake in the all important dialogue around suicide awareness.
Though this event was brought about by the tragic loss of Alex Hicks, Hill will always think fondly of her best friend, she said.
She shared a story about a time they traveled to a Louisiana Tech and Grambling football game last September. A game they were really looking forward to but because of how hot that day was, they ended up leaving early and resorted to more simple plans to pass the day. Their day ended up with just a little of the sights and sounds of a live football game, but left an impression all the same.
“We went to go eat, laugh and talk. And after that day, I felt like I had found a new best friend. After all the time we spent together and the memories we shared, I think he had one of the biggest impacts on me and the way I now look at life,” Hill said.
“Going Live for Suicide Awareness: Honoring Alex “AJ” Hicks” will be held on September 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the El Dorado Racquet Club at 1127 Glenwood Drive.