Cedar Fort Publishing Honors Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. More than 40,000 people in the United States take their lives each year, yet 90 percent who die by suicide have a treatable mental illness (afsp.org).

Author Wendy Parmley, who lost her mother to suicide when she was twelve, understands the devastating effects that suicide has on those left behind. In her book, Hope after Suicide: One Woman's Journey from Darkness to Light, Parmley shares her healing journey following her mother's tragic death. Now she is on a crusade to help others understand not only the heartbreak of suicide, but also that there is HOPE - hope to save lives and hope to heal hearts.

A registered nurse, Parmley volunteers for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and HOPE4Utah. She passionately encourages people to seek help if needed. "We go to the doctor if we have a broken arm," she says. "We should be just as eager to seek treatment for a sick brain."

Parmley encourages people to get involved in suicide prevention efforts in their community - participate in local prevention walks, learn about mental health resources, and reach out to those who may be depressed. Instead of casting judgment on those with mental illness or those who have lost loved ones to suicide, Parmley encourages all of us to reach out with love and understanding - to share our hugs and our hearts.

"I know too well the feelings of loss, helplessness, and hopelessness that follow the suicide death of a loved one," said Parmley. "I also know there can be hope after suicide. There is light beyond the darkness."

*The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

About Wendy Parmley:

Wendy Parmley, RN, MBA, and suicide survivor of 40 years, has long advocated for suicide prevention. Following a bicycle accident and traumatic brain injury that ended her 20-year nursing career, Wendy began the slow and painful penning of her angel mother's story and Wendy's healing journey following her mom's suicide death.

Author of Hope after Suicide: One Woman's Journey from Darkness to Light, Wendy passionately lends her voice to support those who have suffered suicide loss. Wendy was a favorite speaker at the Salt Lake City National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) annual conference, the Chainbreaker Foundation, and the Weber State University's AFSP sponsored Out of the Darkness Campus Walk. Wendy's heart-felt story leaves the audience filled with an abundance of love, understanding and hope as she shares her own journey from heartbreak to hope and, finally, to healing.

Prior to her bike accident, Wendy worked in nursing leadership for 14 years, earning her nursing degree from Utah Valley University in 1991. Wendy graduated with her MBA from Brigham Young University in 2007 and was honored to be the convocation speaker. Wendy has three sons and daughters-in-law, one daughter, and two beautiful grandchildren, who fill her life with sunshine. She and her husband live in Utah.

About Hope after Suicide:

After her mother had taken her life, Wendy Parmley learned firsthand the heartache, despair and loneliness that accompanies suicide loss. Reinvent your definition of saved, perfect and forgiveness as you read this true narrative of a woman opening her heart years after her mother's suicide and learn how to overcome any loss in your life.

Hope after Suicide was recently named a Foreword Review INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist and has been endorsed by Hope4Utah's executive director, Dr. Gregory Hudnall. It is also listed on AFSP's list of resources and has received a positive review from the American Association of Suicidology. Wendy was invited to represent her work as a panelist at the 2015 Virginia Festival of the Book.

Hope after Suicide is available for sale at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com

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