DALLASTOWN, Pa. — Brianna Dorgan, of Dallastown, was just 15 when she took her own life last year, after surviving child sex abuse and enduring years of bullying.
“They were calling her fat, they were calling her ugly, and unfortunately they also put a gun against her head and pull the trigger. Unfortunately that’s what she did Dec. 3,” said Brianna’s dad, Matt Dorgan.
That same month “Building Bridges for Brianna” was founded to and prevent and deal with suicide and self injury.
As part of National Suicide Prevention Month, Building Bridges for Brianna is distributing purple light bulbs for people to install outside their homes. Similar to green lights honoring veterans and pink lights honoring breast cancer awareness, Dorgan hopes the purple lights will honor those lost to suicide and remind those struggling that they’re alone.
“The great lie of depression is that nobody cares and there's nobody out there, but there always is. There's always someone that cares, there's always someone that's willing to listen,” said Cody Becker, crisis intervention specialist with TrueNorth Wellness in Hanover.
Their mission is particularly urgent as experts predict the pandemic will continue to negatively affect people’s mental health. Rising cases forebode another winter of restrictions.
“We've just been having an increase in actual people with anxiety, depression just from being trapped in their houses or having family members dealing with the disease,” Becker said. “A lot of people have been commenting they don't want to go back, they can't do it, they feel trapped under the mask, things like that.”
A June 2020 survey conducted by the CDC found a sharp rise in mental health conditions between late 2019 and mid-2020.
More than 25 percent of high school students reported worsened emotional and cognitive health during the pandemic, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Dorgan said the pandemic also played a role in his daughter’s suicide, as she was unable to attend in-person therapy or see her friends at school.
“Sometimes that’s what somebody going through an issue needs, that physical contact, that one-on-one time, not just with therapists but with friends,” Dorgan said.
Building Bridges for Brianna will be holding a rock painting party and candlelight ceremony 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 19 at 500 Lions Dr., Dallastown.
If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.