Two moms opened up at a high school basketball game during intermission in hopes of saving a life.
Linda Davis and Maria Bales both lost a teen to suicide this year, just days a part.
When the moms get a chance to chat in the stands of a high school basketball game, everything is on the table.
"I think it's funny that the kids are all on this side and the adults all on that side," Davis said.
They chat about how grown up all the kids look, and add in a little gossip.
“Which one was the one that has really pretty brown hair?” Bales asked a friend.
But when they said they talk about everything, they really mean it.
"Samantha ended her life Oct. 2," said Davis.
"Nick passed away on Sept. 29," said Bales. "Something in me just told me that we needed to create awareness, that this isn't okay."
Nick and Sam, two Arapahoe High School Seniors, ended their lives just days a part.
Bales makes her pain public, even while watching the basketball game.
"Nick and I were really close and I still feel like I should have done this, I should have done that," Bales said.
Davis said there are friends who aren't afraid to ask about the person she misses the most.
"Do any of Sam's friends play basketball?" one friend asked.
"One of her best friend's, Sienna," Davis replied.
"Sam was exceedingly compassionate for those around her," said Davis. "She hated seeing people in pain. She absorbed pain like a sponge."
“He was sweet, he was just an absolute love," said Bales about her son, Nick. "Kind, would help anybody, he would stand up for what was right. If somebody was being bullied he had no problem defending that person.”
Bales and Davis keep talking so Sam and Nick's friends know they don't have to hide their pain.
“Don't be afraid or ashamed to ask for help," said Davis when she got up to speak during half-time. "When you see your friend struggling, reach out to an adult.”
The coaches and players helped raise thousands of dollars for suicide prevention, awareness and support.
“Reach out, it'll save your life," said Bales in front of the crowd. "This needs to stop and it starts with you. Let's break the stigma, and let's do it now."
Additional Resources:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential support for those in crisis 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.
Colorado Crisis Service
There are four ways to get confidential and immediate help: by phone at 1-844-493-8255, over text message (text the word “TALK” to 38255), via an online chat service, or at walk-in centers throughout metro Denver, northern, the southeast region and the western slope. Many of these services are available 24/7.
Safe to Tell
Safe2Tell allows students, parents and community members to anonymously report anything that is concerning or threatening. According to their website, those who use the service can help stop a friend from committing suicide, get a friend to stop using drugs, or keep a bully from continuing to make other students miserable.