HARTFORD, V.T. (WHDH) — Two New Hampshire women are spreading messages of hope aimed at preventing suicides at a Vermont bridge.
Jess Keane, 27, and her friend filled out 30 notecards with kind messages of hope and affixed them to the Quechee Gorge Bridge in Hartford Vermont. The gorge has been the site of 14 suicides since 2007.
“Suicide is something that needs to be talked about,” Keane said. “It’s real, It’s something that people face every day.”
Keane wanted to do more than just talk about suicide prevention.
She was inspired to take action when she saw a girl in England making similar signs of hope in a post on Facebook.
“We thought it was the perfect idea for the Quechee Gorge,” she said.
The gorge is a popular place for campers looking to take in the beautiful views. However, local reports say the area has been the site of more than a dozen suicides in the last 11 years.
This is a cause that is close to Keane’s heart. She lost her mother to suicide when she was just 11 years old and wants to make sure that if anyone is looking for a sign to live, this is it.
“I feel like if something like this were available for her before she took her own life, maybe she would have thought twice,” Keane said.
There is no word on whether officials will allow the messages to stay, however, there are plans in place to add a nine-foot fence to the top of the bridge.
For now, Keane wants to remind anyone who may be looking down to “look up” “don’t give up” and “don’t lose hope.”
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