{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Mom hopes story of teen\u2019s suicide will prevent others &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"ySNi9SstK7\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/mom-hopes-story-of-teens-suicide-will-prevent-others\/\">Mom hopes story of teen\u2019s suicide will prevent others<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/mom-hopes-story-of-teens-suicide-will-prevent-others\/embed\/#?secret=ySNi9SstK7\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Mom hopes story of teen\u2019s suicide will prevent others&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"ySNi9SstK7\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/WEB-4-col-horse-6.jpg","thumbnail_width":480,"thumbnail_height":331,"description":"Despite the rainy and overall gloomy weather on Oct. 24, approximately 70 people turned out at Patrick\u2019s Point River Campsite in Williamsburg to remember a Whitley County teen who took her own life in 2018. The Bethany\u2019s Hope Memorial Suicide Prevention Horse Ride was held in memorial of Bethany Faith Lawson. Lawson was an avid horse rider, who adopted her own rescue horse. \u201cBethany loved horses!\u201d her mom, Melissa Lawson said prior to the ride. \u201cHorses are therapeutic.\u201d Lawson said this marked the first year Bethany\u2019s Hope, the organization founded in her daughter\u2019s memory to promote suicide prevention and awareness, has been able to host the ride locally. \u201cI am thrilled with the turnout!\u201d Lawson said adding that so many people who knew and cared about Bethany had come out for the ride. Lawson said Bethany\u2019s suicide in August 2018, just days before she was to return to Whitley County High School for her sophomore years, was a shock. \u201cBethany was adored from the day she took her first breath to the day she took her last, \u201cLawson said. \u201cShe had support from her family, church and at school.\u201d \u201cShe was always smiling. Always happy,\u201d Lawson added. \u201cShe did not give us any indication that the thought had ever crossed her mind. Not even one time!\u201d Lawson said that just a few hours before Bethany took her life, she had been talking about the return to school. \u201cShe was telling me what classes she was going to change next week,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cWe were picking out school clothes.\u201d In addition, Lawson said she and Bethany were talking about her plans for after graduation. \u201cShe was talking about what she was going to do in college,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cIt was a complete and total shock for us,\u201d she said of her daughter\u2019s suicide. Lawson said she was familiar with the signs of someone considering suicide and never saw any indication from Bethany. \u201cIt just let me know, we don\u2019t always know what is going on with our kids,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cThere are things they don\u2019t share with us.\u201d Lawson said the goal with Bethany\u2019s Hope and the horseback ride is to help spread awareness that there are more children thinking about suicide, and it could be yours. \u201cWe have to find a way to bring awareness to people to drop the stigma,\u201d Lawson said adding that parents have to sit down with their children and take the time to emphasize that if something is overwhelming them, they need to reach out for help. \u201cTell them, \u2018If you are not okay, that\u2019s okay. You just need to share that with somebody and not try to hold that in and deal with it yourself. If there is something going on, there is somebody that you can share that with, regardless of what it is,\u2019\u201d Lawson said. Saturday\u2019s ride was free to participate in. Following a ride a community lunch was served, and a benefit auction was held. Lawson said all proceeds from the ride and other events go into the Bethany\u2019s Hope fund. The organization is in the process of establishing two scholarships in Bethany\u2019s memory. The first will be the Whitley County High School Character Scholarship. A committee will select a student, who puts themselves before others, or displays good character. The second will be the Bethany\u2019s Hope Scholarship, which will be given to a member of the group. As to what the community may do to keep Bethany\u2019s memory alive, Lawson emphasized that the stigma associated with mental health must end. \u201cYou can use me and my story, because I would do anything to turn back the clock and do that myself with Bethany,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cTalk to them. Tell them they can always come to you. Kids sometimes, they feel like something is huge that isn\u2019t.\u201d \u201cVocalization ends victimization. When you speak it, it frees you!\u201d Lawson said. More information about Bethany\u2019s Hope is available on the Bethany\u2019s Hope Facebook page."}