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Light for Life Foundation is Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people aged 15 - 24 in Canada!! It is the fastest growing killer of youth in Canada today! There is one teen suicide every twelve hours in Canada and two attempts every five minutes. 95% of all youth suicides are preventable! The Light for Life Foundation of America began in September of 1994 after the suicide of seventeen year old Mike Emme. In the days following Mike's death, many teenagers came to Mike's family and asked if there was anything they could do, and the Emme's responded by saying "Don't do this. Don't commit suicide. Reach out to someone and ask for help!"
The Light for Life Foundation came to Canada in 1997 after Barbara Lamoureux lost her 20 year old step-son, Louis, to suicide. While going through the horrors of his death, Barbara and her husband, Marc, read about the Yellow Ribbon Program® in Chicken Soup for the Soul, 3rd Serving. They immediately determined that the Program needed to come to their community. They sponsored the Emmes to come and speak at a number of the local schools in their community. Barbara set up the first Chapter of the Yellow Ribbon Program® in Canada and is the Canadian contact and speaker for the program. She helps other communities in Canada introduce and start the program to help save lives.
Barbara Lamoureux is available to speak, across Canada, at community based organizations such as schools, churches, youth, parent and adult groups, and other places needing help with suicide prevention programs. Canadian and US communities have noticed a decrease in the number of youth suicides after implementing the Yellow Ribbon Program®. The tens of thousands of letters that have been received from around the world contain a common underlying theme. Our kids are not trying to end their life, they are trying to end the pain! The yellow ribbon card is a safe, simple and effective way to ask for help when the words are not there. Our goal is to make sure the card is in the hands of each and every one of our youth....just in case they ever need someone to talk to. The amount of letters we have received from youth who have considered, or attempted suicide is staggering! Many responded "Finally someone who cares," "I'm glad to know you are there and help is available," "Just having the card helps me feel safer," and "Thanks for saving my best friend's life." |
As the teens shared their grief and told their stories about their friendships with Mike, they also discussed
the tragedy of teen suicide. Discussions followed about ways to prevent teen suicide. Hence, the Emme's
created the Yellow Ribbon card.
