BEDFORD, Va. – As Veteran’s Day approaches, we’re working to highlight the people who’ve served our country and the struggles they’ve faced because of it.
Ami Waldron is remembering her son Codey Donahue. The 29-year-old army veteran died of suicide about two years ago. Now, his mom, Ami, leaves keychains with his story around different spots in the hopes to raise awareness when someone picks them up.
“It’s just a way to keep his memory alive,” Waldron said. “People, you know, it helps them think about things too.”
Waldron said Codey knew since he was a kid he wanted to enlist, signing up when he was just 18.
“Codey wanted to do it from the age of seven, and he wanted to do it because that’s what he believed in,” Waldron said. “He believed in our country. He believed in the military, and there was no stopping him.”
She said when Codey came home things weren’t the same.
“He was Codey, but he wasn’t Codey so to speak,” Waldron said. “He did try to get help with the VA and that type of thing, and that was kind of like back and forth.”
Stories like Codey’s aren’t that uncommon. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shows that in 2021, more than 6,000 veterans died by suicide.
“We need to get the word out and end the stigma with veteran suicide,” Waldron said.
His mom said there wasn’t enough help for her son, and there aren’t enough resources for her either.
“When I was trying to find grief counseling there was nothing that was military-based as far as dealing with a suicide and that type of thing,” Waldron said.
Waldron is ready to create change, and that starts with the keychains. She found the idea in a Facebook group “Mothers of Veteran Suicide,” where she connected with other families around the country who’ve experienced the same loss.
It’s a loss she wants to prevent other families from ever experiencing.
“My greatest triumph was giving birth to him, and my greatest loss was saying goodbye to him forever,” Waldron said. “It will always be like that.”
----------
PREVIOUS:
In 2021, 6,392 Veterans died by suicide, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Here’s how someone struggling can connect with a Veterans Crisis Line responder, anytime day or night:
- Call 988 and select 1.
- Text 838255.
- If you have hearing loss, call TTY: 800-799-4889.
10 News will be sharing a personal story from a family affected by veteran suicide who is using their story to spread awareness tonight in our newscasts and online.