IRMO, S.C. — Stephen Boss's death is hitting home for some here in the Midlands. The dancer and DJ, known as tWitch touched hundreds from the Irmo dance community by his kind spirit.
"It's very rare in this industry to have somebody that everybody loved and that was tWitch," said Lauren Metts, Dance Department owner and director.
Back in June of 2010 before he became a staple on the Ellen Show, and right after competing on 'So You Think You Can Dance,' tWitch took a trip right here to the Midlands.
"We had a mutual friend and I just loved, he just seemed so electric on stage and I don't know, something about him, I was just kind of drawn to him and I thought, that would be, I had a really great group of seniors graduating that year and I thought, that would be such a fun thing for them to have him come," Metts said.
He surprised the entire dance company and their parents at their end of year recital at the Koger Center.
Lauren Metts is the owner and director of the dance department in Irmo.
"He didn't just come in like a lot of guest artists will and teach classes. He stayed with us, he went out to eat with us, we even went out to some of the night clubs here in Columbia and tWitch set the dance floor on fire," Metts said.
Lauren tells News 19 she remembers tWitch well.
"He was just such a sweet, kind, gentle person. My son was eight at the time and he took the time when he was at our house to have him show him all around. We live on the lake and he had him show him all around the lake," Metts said. "But you really don't ever know, just looking on the outside what somebody's really facing on the inside."
Jennifer Wolff has 34 years of experience in mental health. She explains there can be multiple reasons why a person doesn't show what they're struggling with.
"There's this stigma of shame and I don't want to burden people and I don't want to let you down or disappoint you and if I share, maybe I feel like I need to be the foundation and if I share that with you, then I feel like you will think of me as less than," said Jennifer Wolff, licensed clinical social worker.
But she explains, as we go through life, we're designed to live in community, to talk with each other and experience highs and lows together.
"We all need each other. It doesn't matter what you do, how successful you are, at the end of the day, we're all human," Wolff said.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. If you just need someone to talk to, you can text HOPE4SC to 741741. If you or a loved one needs immediate help, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day. Just dial 9-8-8 on your phone for help. It's important to know that this help is out there. Your life matters and you are never alone in this.