The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Alpharetta mom looks to prevent suicide
People who lose a loved one to suicide are haunted by a myriad of whys, hows, and the what-ifs that can never be answered.
Why would anyone ever take their own life? What makes them desire death in the first place? And how, for God’s sake, do they build up the nerve to do it?
Like so many others, it was all Teressa Stann was left with after the death of her brother Louie Ruspi in 2011. Questions.
But unlike most other survivors of suicide, for the past five years or so, Stann has been working feverishly to not just raise awareness about mental health and suicide but how to prevent suicide.
She co-founded the Lou Ruspi Jr. Foundation, a regional nonprofit that seeks to raise awareness through education and interactive presentations and resources.
This September, which just happens to be National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, she has been particularly busy as she has partnered with Onelife Fitness, a network of six health and fitness clubs in metro Atlanta, to raise money for suicide prevention and mental health awareness and continue her work educating children.
A big part of that is shining a light on the importance of mental health education, par-
ticularly among school-age children.
If you think that’s a mistake, consider someone commits suicide every 14 minutes in this country and every seven hours in Georgia, according to Stann. What’s more, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Georgia’s youths.
Amy Tully, marketing and social media director at Onelife, said that joining Stann in her mission was a no-brainer.
Besides being a longtime active member of Onelife, Stann’s mission fit squarely with the fitness center’s focus on education and wellness.
“LRJ’s mission and core values align perfectly with our holistic approach to health,” Tully said. “At Onelife Fitness, we are dedicated to supporting our local communities, so the partnership with the LRJ Foundation is a great fit.”
With every Facebook check-in that uses the hashtag #BetterThanYesterday at a Onelife Fitness location, the center will donate 11 cents to the LRJ Foundation throughout the month of September. And every Wednesday, Onelife will share educational materials, such as tips for beating anxiety and signs your child may be experiencing bullying.
Stann, who lives in Alpharetta with her husband and three children, said she was packing for a trip back home to Philadelphia for the Christmas holiday when she learned her brother was missing.
It was Dec. 23, two days before Christmas 2011.
Prior to that, she remembered Louie being in good spirits, cracking jokes in his text messages. He had every reason to be happy. He was entering his second semester at Keystone College, where he tutored his peers in biology and chemistry and often dropped in on his professors just for coffee and to chat. And even though he’d been exempt from three final exams, he took them anyway just to see how he’d do.
“He was in one of the best places of his life, doing fantastic,” Stann recalled through tears.
In his spare time, Louie waited tables at an Italian restaurant and was scheduled to work Dec. 21 when he called to switch shifts with a co-worker. After enjoying a dinner of venison parmigiana that night with his father, he headed off to do some Christmas shopping.
When Lou Ruspi Sr. awakened the next day, he discovered Louie hadn’t come home and that everpresent backpack of his was still in his room.
Louie was 26. It wasn’t unusual for him to stay at a friend’s house after a night out. Lou Sr. didn’t think much of his absence.
But Thursday came and went, and Louie still hadn’t made it home and he hadn’t called.
Lou Sr. messaged Stann. He’d called Louie’s phone but he wasn’t answering. If he didn’t hear from him soon, he planned to file a missing person report with the police.
“I was a nervous wreck,” Stann said, “thinking of the many possibilities of where my brother could be. Something just didn’t feel right.”
On the flight to Philly that evening, she noticed her husband, seated a few rows behind her, on the phone.
“I could tell by the look in his eye, something was wrong,” she said. “That was the longest two-hour flight of my life.”
They were at the baggage claim area when her husband got another call and excused himself. When he returned, she knew for sure something was wrong. She insisted he tell her.
“I’m sorry, he’s gone, Teressa,” he told her. “What do you mean?” Police had found Louie at a hunting cabin 45 minutes from home. He had taken his own life.
“This happens every day to other families,” Stann said. “It devastates you for life because you’re left with so many unanswered questions and a range of emotions, from sadness to anger to guilt.”
How can this happen? Why did this happen?
Stann still doesn’t know the answer to those questions. She doubts she ever will.
This much she does know. She will never stop trying to keep other families from suffering the same thing.