Suicide Prevention Project

The inspiration:
On 08/16/2017 my beautiful niece, Rachel Megan Montoya, committed suicide. We were devastated by this tragic event. Her death left us with so many unanswered questions. Could we have saved her? What if we had just reached out? How long had she been feeling this way? Why didn’t she just reach out to someone, anyone?
So many questions we would never physically receive answers to.
Her passing prompted me to convert my passion project, “healing with love”, into a mental health awareness / suicide prevention non profit organization.

The story:
I wanted to honor her memory by creating a suicide prevention project.
Like myself, she was passionate about the creative arts, an amazing singer, dancer and actress. I wanted to incorporate the things that we, as humans, love and bring us joy because love and joy are natural healing vibrations.
Writing always helped me in the healing process so I began to write again, it had been so long.
My first short story was a PSA inspired by her tragic death. A story about suffering in silence. A story about the truth behind the veil of mental health. A powerful story about the effects Suicide has on those we leave behind and what we ourselves can do to possibly prevent suicide, make a positive impact and create change. I want to remove the stigma that goes along with mental health.

The mission:
I posted the story I wrote online in hopes of aiding people in finding the light within and reaching out for help.
I wanted a way to let people know that they are not alone in their struggle.
I myself had struggled with depression and suicidal tendencies and idealization since I was a child. As I got older I found it a little easier to discuss with others and I always found a way out of the darkness but not everyone has the will to reach out. Not everyone has the ability to communicate their feelings and many are afraid of what others will think; so many suffer in silence, afraid of the judgement, of seeming weak, or afraid that their pleas for help may be ignored or misunderstood.
I want to change that.

The production:
Fast forward to a few months ago when I posted my story.
An awesome friend of mine sent my story to her friend. She told me that he was interested in possibly converting my story into a short film. I thought it was a great idea and met with him to discuss the story. He told me his production partner volunteers at a suicide prevention hotline and I immediately knew right that second that these were the guys that were going to help me bring the story to life. They understand the depth of the story and the mission I am on to create positive change.

The technical stuff:
I have no financial backing by a big production company, this is being brought to life by various production staff with beautiful hearts that are volunteering their time for this project.
Your donations will cover equipment rentals and various expenses that can incur during filming. We are asking for your support in bringing this project to life. any amount will be accepted with gratitude. I’m very excited to finally get this message out there and hopefully help one person reach out their hand for help out of the darkness.

The Team:
Our production team is super talented and accomplished in their field. I am lucky to be able to work with such talented individuals on a project that is very near and dear to my heart.

The writer:
Maricela has been writing since she was a child but her passion has always been advocating for the mental health and well being of children as well as adults. She is a reiki master healer, numerologist, and an ordained minister specializing in grief counseling.
Marcymendoza.com

Facebook.com/HealingWithLove