The loss of a loved one will always be one of the hardest things a person can go through.
And yet certain wounds cut deeper than others; some losses are almost too horrible to even imagine.
In 2018, weather forecaster Kelly Plasker lived every parent’s worst nightmare when her son died of suicide a short time before his 20th birthday.
Kelly, who worked for KCBD in Lubbock Texas, was naturally rocked to her core, her life forever changed by an event that no mom or dad could ever anticipate, let alone prepare for.
As per reports, Kelly, a single mom who had two other children, did her righteous best to put on a brave face. She relayed some of her feelings of grief via her Facebook page, but the scars of suffering were deep-rooted and massive indeed.
Then, in 2020, two years after the passing of her son, Kelly also died by suicide.
Before leaving this world, she opened up on her Facebook about the extreme struggles she had faced, some of which went back to her own childhood.
“I got thrown off course in high school by a man twice my age,” she wrote on her Facebook.
“My band director, using his time at Frenship high school to find his new ‘soul mate!’ He was supposed to be somebody looking out for me, but instead of looking out for me he looked at me in ways that men should not look at children. And I realize now that predators pick off easy prey. Particularly those without much family support or resources.“
She continued: “The bad habits and games being in that 5-year long relationship can be called grooming and abusive at times call it total manipulation.
“I have unfortunately carried into relationships of mine that would’ve probably been beautiful had I not been convinced that I wasn’t worthy that I was never going to be good enough for anybody.”
“He snuffed out my future and my ambitions in the most influential time of my life, my prime when I had so many doors and opportunities to explore but he was selfish convincing me that he didn’t want me to leave Lubbock Texas,” she explained. “And then the promises came. The promises of the new life together, the promises of conquering the world in a business to grow.”
In a tragic sign-off, she wrote: “Thanks all, I needed to get out there as my final confession for the sins I am responsible for adding to the cross. I love you my friends. My brain is broken and I cannot take it anymore.”
Kelly’s post was shared thousands of times, with friends and family using it to say their own goodbyes to a woman whose life had been damaged through no fault of her own.
After Kelly’s passing, tributes flooded in from those who knew her, including colleagues at the radio station where she worked.
Karin McCay, who worked with Kelly, said: “For 3 years, Kelly was that spunky weather girl every Saturday and Sunday morning on Newschannel 11.
“What you couldn’t see on TV was a broken heart. I remember one day two years ago when she and I sat and talked in the studio and she told me her world would never be the same.”
Kelly’s passing, though over a year ago now, serves as a poignant reminder that continued focus on mental health is critical. People you meet everyday can be struggling in silence or battling demons that no one else can even see.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. I don’t know about you, but that’s a truly damning figure, equating to an average of 132 lives being taken everyday single day.
Rest in peace, Kelly. We hope you’re with your son in a better place now, and we’re so sorry you were forced to endure all that you endured.
Please, remember to speak to loved ones and watch out for any signs that their mental health might not be where it should be.
Share this article to send prayers to Kelly’s family and to remind others of the importance of mental health.
