'Tomorrow needs you': Community vigil marks youth suicide awareness day
About 150 people, including many McMinnville High School students, awoke early to gather for the Out of Darkness Sunrise Vigil and reflect on the last year.
Oct. 9, 2024, will be a day enshrined in the community’s memory. Oregon Youth Suicide Awareness Day was established this year by the Oregon Legislature and marks the anniversary of when Mikalynn Morris, a 15-year-old McMinnville High School sophomore, died by suicide.
Losing Mikalynn spurred her family, friends and community members to overcome the stigma around mental health and encourage conversations of suicide awareness.
State Rep. Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville) sponsored House Bill 3643, which created Oregon Youth Suicide Awareness Day.
Speaking before the crowd, Elmer quoted the bill, noting the topic of youth suicide does not receive the elevation and attention it deserves.
“Youth suicide has impacted far too many communities and families throughout our beautiful state; and whereas the warning signs of youth suicide often go unnoticed or unrecognized,” she said.
The bill notes shame, stigma and a lack of knowledge are barriers for youth to seek professional mental health support.
“I can’t say how thankful and impressed I am in the family coming to the Capitol testifying and returning to the point of grief time and time again,” she said. “They showed up because, in honor of Mikalynn, they never want another family to go through this.”
She said the awareness day aims to elevate the conversation and help youth overcome any barriers that may prevent them from seeking help.
Mikalynn’s birthday was considered for the awareness day, but the Morris family requested to keep the celebration of her birth separate from her death.
Mayor Kim Morris, Mikalynn’s grandmother said, “No matter if you have a bad day, we want you to stay.”
She thanked the McMinnville Fire District and the Yamhill County Sheriff Department for being with the Morris family the day they lost Mikalynn.
“It’s a tragedy we don’t want anyone else to go through,” she said.
Bundled in blankets in the brisk morning air, high school students were invited to the center of the gathering.
Pastor Shaun Strong from The Grove in McMinnville said, “A year ago, you might have remembered, I asked you to look around the room at all the faces.”
On Oct. 9, 2024, approximately 125 Mac High students went to the Young Life facility, located a block from the high school, after learning of Mikalynn’s death.
Strong, who helps with Young Life, asked the students to look again at the people in the crowd.
“Look at all these faces, you’ll notice a lot of them are the same ones from a year ago,” he said. “You guys are the future. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we are celebrating this. You guys need to know the power you have, the potential you have, the support you have. No one’s fighting alone right now, no one can do this alone.”
Strong then led a prayer.
“There is so much potential in front of us,” he said referring to the students. “I pray against tragedy this year, we’ve been through so much. We can’t take it anymore. Our hearts are broken; they hurt right now. We just want to see instead this group of young people come alongside each other. Live out everything we were taught, love like Mikalynn.”
As the sun rose, attendees walked along the path through the park, which was lit with electric candles and lined with signs reading positive phrases like, “Tomorrow needs you,” and, “Stay; your story’s not finished yet.”
Throughout the vigil, Katie Morris, Mikalynn’s mother, was showered with love as student after student embraced her and said, “I love you” — many of them also in tears.
“It’s amazing to see all these kids be vulnerable,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I would come today, but last night I decided 'yes,' and that was all I could do to drive here.”
The family is still grieving, but Morris has seen some good, some light come out of this dark time. She’s established strong bonds with many of her daughter’s peers, giving a sense that her family has grown.
“I am so grateful for the relationships and I am terrified for when they graduate,” she said. “What am I gonna have then? Because the underclassmen didn’t know her as well, so are all these kids, are they going to forget me?”
She hopes to still receive heartfelt calls on Mother’s Day.
“Jaxson, my son, he’s gained so many siblings. He soaks it up,” she said.
He has been embraced by his peers who support him at his games and take him fishing or out to dinner.
“It’s pretty amazing,” she said.
Morris believes he is still processing his older sister’s passing, but the family is trying to keep his life as normal as possible, while also discussing the reality of what happened.
“He has a lot of support at school,” she said.
Over the past year, she has witnessed many high schoolers open up about the topic of suicide and how to prevent it.
“I have been amazed by this group of kids by what they are doing and what they are sharing,” she told the News-Register through tears. “364 days ago, you never would have seen a post about your mental health or suicide, or you matter and they are showing up. And they are doing that for each other, whether they are friends or not, they want to take care of each other, and it shows. It’s amazing.”
The Morris family and other community members founded the Love Like Mikalynn nonprofit to increase awareness of suicide prevention and support youth in other ways.
Throughout this year of grief, Morris has noticed that many kids going to the Young Life house and having new, difficult conversations have good home lives.
“I want to reach out to the ones that aren’t showing up,” she said, hoping to influence more kids in the county.
Morris is hoping LLM can provide more activities throughout the year. She encourages more people to be involved, either through the nonprofit or other means that promote its mission.
“Reach out and we’ll find a place to put you,” she said, “We all want to come together as one.”
In Oregon, 38% of high school juniors reported feeling so sad or hopeless they stopped normal activities. 20% of all high school students have reported having serious thoughts about suicide, according to HB 3643.
In 2022, Oregon had the 12th highest youth suicide rate in the nation; 109 Oregon youths died by suicide in that year.
According to Mental Health America, Oregon ranks last in the nation in balancing the prevalence of youth mental illness with access to care.
Suicide remains the second leading cause of death in the nation among people aged 5 to 24.
Anyone struggling with a mental health crisis can call the 24/7 Yamhill County Mental Health Crisis Line at 844-842-8200. The National Suicide Hotline can be reached by calling or texting 988.
Comments
Colty
News Register, please unlock this article so that everyone can read it. If it helps just 1 person know that they matter and that there's help available, it will be worth it!! Thank you for this article.
Mike Morris
Emily and the News Register, thank for being there early in the morning along with your kind and excellent coverage of this important life saving topic.
Colty, I agree. While I understand the NR policies this is to important of matter to keep from anyone. Thank you.
Ossie Bladine
Article has been unlocked. Feel free to share. (Also, the article about the county's Mental Health Safe Zones program from last week is unlocked as well.)
Mike Morris
Ossie, thank you very much.
Colty
Sending so much appreciation to you Ossie!!!