Ptsd Awareness Month: Families Impacted By Veteran Suicide Share Their Stories

DALLAS - EntSun -- During PTSD Awareness Month, Green Star Families of America is highlighting the voices of surviving families whose lives were forever changed by veteran suicide.

While conversations often focus on prevention, many families say the impact of PTSD and suicide continues long after the loss and that surviving loved ones are frequently overlooked.

Lyndsey Theobald, whose husband Brian died by suicide, says the effects continue years later.

"His loss devastated our family and tore us apart," Theobald said. "My daughter and I were left to deal with his passing alone. Suicide and mental health affect everyone around that person. My daughter is now 15 and still battling PTSD from losing her father."

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Jake Chinnis, whose wife Lori Ann Chinnis served in the U.S. Army and later died by suicide after battling PTSD and a traumatic brain injury sustained during her deployment to Iraq, said the loss continues to impact every part of their lives.

"I miss her every day. She was my best friend, my everything," Chinnis said. "I want people to know Lori's story. She fought for our freedom and gave everything for our country. Iraq changed her, and our family will never be the same without her."

For Jackie Mainard, whose son, Air Force Special Agent Eric Buell, died by suicide while serving his country, the pain remains.

"The guilt we feel in not being able to save him still haunts us," Mainard said. "There are so many people who still view suicide as a coward's way out. My son was not a coward."

For Natalie Brett, one of the hardest challenges after losing her husband was feeling invisible.

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"When my husband died, people didn't know how to talk to me or my family," Brett said. "We were not a Blue Star family. We were not a Gold Star family. There was no place for families like ours."

"Behind every veteran suicide is a family whose life has been forever changed," said Matt Cahill, Founder of Green Star Families of America. "PTSD Awareness Month is an opportunity to remember that these families matter, their stories matter, and they should not have to grieve in silence."

Green Star Families of America is a national nonprofit organization advocating for awareness, support, and recognition for families impacted by veteran suicide, including passage of H.R. 6022, the Sgt. Walter F. Hartnett IV Green Star Veterans Service Act.

https://www.GreenStarFamilies.org