A MESSAGE FROM #MAD4MAC “Making a Difference 4 Madison A. Cox"
On April 22, 2012, my 19 year old son, Madison, died by suicide.
If you were fortunate enough to have known Madison, his bright smile and handsome good looks are no doubt what caught your eye when you met him. Beyond that smile lived a creative, quick witted, young man who was gifted academically, a skilled story teller, kind hearted, funny, here for the party, salty spirit. Behind the handsome facade, mental illness was simultaneously at work in Madison's brain & it didn’t care one bit about any of his accomplishments and attributes.
Madison was well loved by so many...by his family, his friends, teachers & coaches. His death has left a scar on the hearts of everyone who was fortunate enough to have been in his presence. Madison’s life meant something. Despite being short lived, Madison’s life had purpose & I am committed to continuing to make his memory mean something as well. I’m honored for the opportunity to lace up my shoes again & run another Marathon in Madison’s memory representing TeamAFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) on November 7th in the New York City Marathon.
While this will be my 4th time running as a charity partner for AFSP, this year feels especially important. Our mental health has (and continues to) take a blow while we cope with the impact of COVID. The work AFSP is doing to bring awareness, train clinicians in suicide prevention and advocate for policy that will save lives is of utmost importance right now. I don’t want another family to lose a loved one to suicide.
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