ROANOKE, Va – Family and friends of a longtime Roanoke businessman are working to honor his legacy.
Two weeks ago, Louis Tudor took his own life after dealing with mental health issues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
His wife, Jessica, said hundreds of people have reached out her family asking how to help.
“We’ve been lucky to have all the support that we’ve had but not everybody has that,” said Jessica Tudor.
So with the advice of a family friend who is a mental health counselor, the family has decided to start The Tudor House to honor Louis’s legacy and provide resources for those who are struggling.
“Just as if you would be diagnosed with cancer or some other form, his brain was sick and we were trying to get him help and in the process we came across some road blocks and missed opportunities,” explained family friend Christy Cundiff.
The Tudor House hopes to provide online resources and grief counseling for people in Roanoke. The family hopes it will be a place where people can come to receive help without judgement.
“It is very difficult to get someone help who doesn’t look like they need help,” Cundiff said.
Since the fundraising started more than $22,000 have been raised to start The Tudor House.
Jessica and her children hope to help honor Louis’s legacy by helping others through dark times.
“He was such a force, and had such a lust for life, that we never imagined this is where we would be so if it could happen to us we realized it could happen to anybody,” said Tudor.
Organizers hope to have The Tudor House up and running within the year. You can donate to the GoFundMe here.