Stacy Kieper saw a man in Troy, New York carrying a skeleton around. She knew that she had to stop and talk to him. The man was breathless and sweaty when Stacy asked him why he was doing it. Tears filled his eyes as he told Stacy that he was a soldier and just the day before, a friend of his, who was also a soldier, had committed suicide.
Stacy posted his picture and her story on Facebook. The soldier, John Newcomb, said he was carrying the skeleton to represent all of his fallen brothers, and he wanted to raise awareness.
Stacy’s post reached a lot of people – Newcomb himself even saw her post.
Newcomb responded to Stacy’s post and said that 22 veterans take their lives each day.
He said that 22 is too many. The day Newcomb had been spotted by Stacy was a trying day in his life as he and his wife were dealing with their second miscarriage in a row.
Newcomb knew there wasn’t much that he could do about the miscarriage, but he knew he could help raise awareness about the number of veterans who end their lives each day. Newcomb hopes that he is able to make a difference in the suicide rates of our veterans.
He wants to inspire as many people as he can to help fight for the lives of the people who fought for our freedom. Help Newcomb spread the word – share this with everyone you know.