In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month, we are featuring Kate Snow and Chris Bro, two incredible brain health advocates, whose work on behalf of suicide prevention has personal roots as well as national recognition. At this year’s Kennedy Forum, the couple took the stage and shared a story that was not easy for them to tell. It was about Chris’s father, John. “I said thank you, this was a great weekend, I’ll see you soon,” Chris said, recalling the last conversation he had with his father. A month later, during the Christmas holidays, Chris received a call that John had died by suicide. Following John’s death, Chris and Kate were forced to grapple with pain that was as raw as it was unexpected. It was ultimately their decision to confront difficult subjects and feelings in their marriage that transformed them into mental health advocates.
On the Chicago stage at the Kennedy Forum, Kate and Chris shared the spotlight and took turns speaking into the mic. While one spoke, the other listened supportively. Chris’s voice shook many times as he recounted the details of his father’s life and the painful ripple effect his death had on their entire family.
“We decided as a whole family that we weren’t going to shy away from talking about all this,” Kate said. They started by being more emotionally open with family and friends, but Kate quickly realized that there were stories about mental health that were not being told, so she decided to pitch them at work. Kate ended up winning an Emmy in 2014 for her coverage of stories about substance use and suicide in this country. And she wasn’t finished. Last summer, after the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, Kate opened up about her father-in-law’s death on national TV (with her family’s approval). When the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention saw the piece on the Today Show, they immediately called and asked Kate to host their gala, giving the story even wider coverage.
Working through the pain in this way has not brought Chris’s father back, but it has made Chris and Kate acutely aware of the important things: listening, validating, holding loved ones close. Talking about the pain helps bring those feelings to the surface, where they can be processed. Chris and Kate told the audience about their decision to begin couple’s therapy, where they dealt with their grief together.
Chris and Kate are committed to using their experience to provide a beacon of hope for others who are enduring the same pain after the suicide of a loved one. Their story is a spotlight on resilience, but it is also an invitation to others: don’t hide during your most difficult moments in order to preserve your front-facing image of yourselves.
“I’ve learned it’s OK to ask, “How are you today?” Kate said. “I’ve learned that it’s even OK to ask a friend if they’ve thought about never waking up.”
Kate and Chris are brave advocates and role models for us all. Their honesty and courage has been a gift to the mental health community and they are helping to change lives.
“We want to build a community of support and we need to have conversations about tough topics,” Chris added. “Maybe together we can make a big change.”
To watch Kate and Chris’s full talk at the Kennedy Forum, click here.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide prevention Lifeline: 1 – 800 – 273 8255
To see Kate speak on January 13th in Los Angeles register for the Mental Health For US Unite For Change Forum here.
