Thomas raising depression awareness after sister’s suicide
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Solomon Thomas knows the pain of having a loved one take her own life after his older sister killed herself this offseason.
Thomas and his family now want to use the anguish from Ella Thomas’ death on Jan. 23 for a good cause by raising awareness about the dangers of depression and trying to prevent other suicides.
“It’s big to let people know it’s OK to be sad, it’s OK not to be perfect because you never are,” Thomas said. “There are so many things that happen in life, good, bad, stuff that you don’t know about, and it’s going to affect how you feel. That’s huge. It’s about changing the culture of how you’re supposed to feel or act.”
Thomas, a second-year defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, will return to his family’s home in the Dallas area this weekend to take part Saturday in The Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk, which benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Thomas has already raised more than $27,000 for the cause.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 44,000 suicides a year in the United States and it is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 34.
“That’s insane,” Solomon Thomas said. “That’s a huge deal. That’s a lot of people who couldn’t get help — a lot of people who need help and a lot of people being affected. It’s more than that who are going through depression and going through all the sadness. That needs to be talked about. There needs to be help for everyone out there. I want people to know they can reach out and be loved.”
The 22-year-old Thomas got the news about Ella in a phone call from his father while working out back in Texas. He got plenty of support from the Niners right away with owner Jed York, general manager John Lynch, kicker Robbie Gould and former teammate Elvis Dumervil among the people who came to Texas for the funeral.
Others in the organization have been there with timely texts, cards and other good wishes that have helped Thomas get through this difficult time.
Ella Thomas had been dealing with depression for years and her family had tried to get her help. While Ella was open with her struggles, Thomas knows many others keep those thoughts hidden, sometimes out of fear of a stigma some put on mental illness.
That’s why he thinks it was so important that NBA stars like Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan have been open about their struggles with panic attacks and depression.
It’s also why he is taking part in the walk to let others know they aren’t alone in dealing with these issues.