Three Seventeen by Darren Shell

 

This author is not a doctor. He is not a counselor or a minister. He is an average man, a father, son, husband who loves his family and friends. Darren was faced with something that many families face. He was faced not once, but twice, with the suicide of someone close to him. The first was his father who took his own life only a few days after the birth of his first grandchild. Several years later, one of his closest friends also committed suicide.

Three Seventeen is the author's story of this life journey, about how he managed to survive suicide of someone close not once but twice. It is full of faith and reliance on the Christian faith. But what, more than anything, pulled him through was realizing how prevalent suicide is and that he could make working on preventing suicide a life mission. Darren has teamed up with those at his job and with those from the military (22 veterans kill themselves every day) to create programs that have as their aim helping those who are considering suicide and getting them through their crisis points.

It is a rare family that hasn't been touched by suicide. In my own case, I always knew I had a relative who had died in a train wreck. But it wasn't until I was in my 40's that my mother felt she could share the fact that this person had caused the train wreck when they walked in front of the train, committing suicide. Many people have been touched by this issue, either with family or friends. Readers will find this story an invaluable resource as they work on this issue.