“It’s a disease, not a moral failing. It’s a medical condition, not a character flaw.” — Kathleen Dunckel

News Lifestyles editor Darby Hinkley introduced us recently to Kathleen Dunckel and her husband, Eric, in a story simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring about the Dunckel’s loss of their daughter, Abigail, to suicide two days before Christmas 2019. Hinkley spoke to them as part of Mental Health Awareness Month, which happens every May.

Their story breaks the heart for obvious reasons. We can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, of wondering what could have been.

But the Dunckels inspire for their bravery and forthrightness in sharing Abigail’s story and encouraging us all to talk more about mental health.

“Mental health issues ­- and suicide is one of the tough ones to talk about ­- we are happy to be on the side of making that more of an open conversation,” Eric Dunckel told Hinkley. “We need to have it more out in the light.”

To the Dunckels, we say thank you for sharing your story. To all our readers, we ask that you follow their example and start talking about mental health.

A problem hidden, ignored, shunned, or shamed is a problem unresolved. Only by discussing our mental health struggles and those of our loved ones can we get the help we need. Only by talking about it openly and making it a part of the public discourse can we encourage policymakers to make changes and invest in the resources necessary to improve the situation.

We need to have it in the light.

If you’re struggling with mental health issues, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.