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TYRONE -- "Tough times don't always last, but together, tough people can," Hayden Zook told parents during a suicide prevention awareness program at the Tyrone Area High School.
Zook and Marisa Vicere, president and founder of the Jana Marie Foundation, were the keynote speakers for the second presentation of the district's parent awareness series.
Suicide is "something we must talk about, no matter how difficult it is," Superintendent Leslie Estep said to a group of roughly 30 parents gathered Thursday night in the high school auditorium.
Zook, of the Adam Zook Foundation, shared the story of his younger brother, Adam, who committed suicide July 28, 2019.
Adam was a 2016 graduate of the school district and a former editor-in-chief of the high school's student run newspaper, the Tyrone Eagle Eye News. Entering his senior year of college in fall 2019, Zook was set to be the editor-in-chief of another newspaper at Slippery Rock University, where he studied communication and journalism.
Hayden Zook feels called to tell his brother's story because there's a person out there who may be happy on the outside, but is struggling internally and needs to be saved, he said.
He said he never could have guessed that Adam was struggling because he wore his heart on his sleeve and expressed outgoing personality traits.
"I often feel like a failure, as being his big brother that I didn't know what he was dealing with. I didn't know that he was struggling," he said, adding going through hard times with support from others helped him build resiliency.
Even through the darkest points in life, Zook said people can still see the light. He told parents if they can remind their kids why they live, that can get them through any crisis.
There are warning signs about a person's behavior and mood, he said, that are important to make note of in times of crisis. Zook asked people to encourage help-seeking behavior through connecting people to a support network or counselor.
He said it's important to also encourage healthy coping strategies, such as writing in a journal, listening to music, taking deep breaths and going for a walk.
Vicere said grief hits people at different times and can instantly trigger sad feelings and emotions, such as when listening to a song.
She said it's important to be open and honest when talking about mental health because it builds trust with children, who often depend on adults to open the door for conversations and to listen to them.
"Every child is one adult away from a success story," she said.
The Adam Zook Foundation often hosts races to raise funds for suicide prevention awareness, and even in poor weather conditions -- like rain -- people still show up, which Zook said is the perfect metaphor for life.
"No matter what the conditions are in your life and in your family, we need to show up for people, we need to let people know that it is OK (and) that there is a listening ear next to them," he said. "We want people to know that they are where they are for a reason."
Zook said the foundation's mission now is to let people know that they are positioned in life for a purpose.
"When you feel that you have a purpose, it enriches your life and it gives you hope for your future," he said.
Estep concluded the presentation by telling parents not to hesitate to reach out to the school district for additional resources they can provide to students who are struggling.
Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.