COLUMBIA, S.C. — "If I could spare one family what my family went through twice then we are doing the right thing," Dennis Gillan said.
After losing two brothers to suicide 11 years apart, Dennis started his journey to help decrease suicide by opening dialog around hard conversations.
"I just want one person to hear it, and after that I want another, and another, and so on," Dennis said.
Dennis went on to speak at conferences, public hearings, schools and universities representing his suicide awareness foundation, Half a Sorrow, and in 2018 at the University of Delaware he stumbled upon a gentleman who told Dennis about the time a compliment saved his life.
"In his mind he was thinking that's it, I'm ending it today. And when he was walking out of school, on the way out this kid he barely knew looked down and saw his sneakers and said 'Steven I like your shoes, nice shoes’," Dennis said.
Dennis asked the gentleman to co-write a book with him. They would call it Nice Shoes.
"And this guy, this unknown hero in this book, made it better with 2 simple words: nice shoes," Denis explained, "I've had parents tell me who have bought the book that it starts the conversation," he added.
Starting the conversation and spreading awareness is why Dennis and Palmetto Publishing wanted to donate 26 pairs of shoes to the Diamond Effect Mentorship (D.E.M) youth leadership program. The program collects new or lightly worn shoes to donate to community members in need.
"You never know what a small gesture, especially in the lives of youth, could empower them or instill them to go forth," Sterling Ta'Bon said.
Sterling is the director of the D.E.M program collecting shoes to give out during the 10th annual Diamond-Stackz Classic basketball tournament.
"We've had this basketball tournament, and it funds our mental leadership program now. So that is our non-profit now, the down effect mental release program where we do community engagement, servant leadership, and develop events that promote unity and build up youth in our community," Sterling explained.
By helping build unity among youth while empowering them to lead, Sterling and Dennis hope stigmatization around suicide can be broken, one small act or conversation at a time.
"No matter what we look like, suicide has no color or name. It just takes having that conversation to talk about it," Sterling said confidently.
If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts or need help dial 988 for the suicide and crisis lifeline.