June 8, 2018

In Wake of Celebrity Deaths, People Are Sharing Stories About How They #LiveThroughThis

Acts of kindness can help with everyday struggles.

Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMA Wire; Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

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On Friday, the world was shaken for the second time in one week by a celebrity suicide. Anthony Bourdain, the 61-year-old chef, was found dead in a French hotel room this morning. His untimely death came only days after that of Kate Spade, the New York fashion designer, who died by suicide in her apartment. She was 55.

Their deaths have sparked an outpouring of public grief, dotted with reminders of the well-documented suicide contagion effect: One death can offset others, particularly a celebrity’s. Conversations have also turned to the importance of support networks—comfort found in friends, family, therapists, and even good Samaritans.

Journalist Ana Marie Cox posted on Twitter Friday morning, sharing a story of her own struggle with depression and a stranger’s small act of kindness that helped her. She clarifies that she is not suggesting kindness is enough to address mental illness, but it can help people get through the day.

Users responded immediately. Here are a few of the stories they shared:

https://twitter.com/JerseyGirl981/status/1005087231990738945

https://twitter.com/realcoolskin/status/1005090034243002369

If you are considering suicide, please consult these resources:

Crisis Text Line: 741741
US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Trevor Project LGBTQ Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 or text 838255

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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