SpeakUp ReachOut 2021 Memorial Ceremony
Keynote Presenter
LENA HEILMANN
Still With Me: How I grieve and survive my sister's death by suicide
Lena Heilmann (she/hers), Ph.D., M.N.M. is this year's American Association of Suicidology's Loss Survivor of the Year. In 2012, Lena lost her sister Danielle to suicide. Feeling her world and identity shattering around her, Lena felt overwhelmed: how could she survive the loss of the person who meant most to her in this world? In order to survive this traumatic grief and to honor her sister, Lena turned toward a community of passionate survivors -- survivors of suicide loss, attempts, and despair. In 2019, Lena published a collection of essays written by fellow sibling survivors of suicide loss: Still With Us: Voices of Sibling Suicide Loss Survivors. Lena has also published in a variety of media outlets and spoken on podcasts and at conferences regarding surviving suicide loss.
In this presentation, Lena will share how she found a community of survivors that enabled her to survive her own intense grief. Being able to work and volunteer with people who understand suicidal despair empowered her to continue surviving her sister’s death, even on her hardest days, and to grieve with an open heart.