Every September is Suicide Prevention Month, with people and organizations shedding a light on a serious, yet often taboo subject.
Jordan and Lisa Tabor lost their 15-year-old son, Owen, to suicide in April 2023. The couple recently opened up on UWK’s podcast, Louisiana Unfiltered.
In the aftermath of their loss, the Tabors committed to turning their grief into a purpose. In May 2023, just weeks after Owen’s passing, they founded the Rain Will Bring Flowers Foundation. The name shows their belief in finding hope and healing even in the darkest of times.
Rain Will Bring Flowers focuses on youth suicide prevention, using education, awareness, and support to the community. The Tabors hope to also bridge the communication gap between parents and guardians with their children about struggles and mental health concerns.
Their teenage son Owen was a gifted athlete and hard-working student who loved hanging out with his friends and was known for being funny. They said he exhibited no signs that something else was going on inside.
“If a kid like Owen could fall victim to suicide, then I really feel like all of our kids are at risk, and we just couldn’t let our family tragedy go to waste. We had to find a way to transform our pain into purpose, and just make sure that no other family has to walk in our shoes,” Jordan Tabor shared.
“Owen was a kid that you just didn’t worry about. He was on autopilot. He was involved, and you know, I just think that stresses and being hard on yourself—it might have got to him,” Lisa Tabor added.
The Tabors said the goal is to normalize conversations around mental health, and for young people to know that they’re not alone, that it’s okay not to be okay, and to ask for help.
Rain Will Bring Flowers has held an event in the past year called “Planting Seeds of Hope” in the LSU PMAC, in conjunction with LSU Athletics, FMOL, and the Joe Burrow Foundation. At the event, 3,100 students attended.
The organization also has a campaign of “Prevention in Every Parish” that began in 2024 and aims to reach students and families in schools around the state. So far, Rain Will Bring Flowers has touched 24 parishes, the Tabors said.
According to statistics reported by the National Institute for Mental Health, in 2023, the suicide rate among males was nearly 4 times higher (22.8 per 100,000) than among females (5.9 per 100,000). Louisiana has a suicide death rate of 14.75-17.31 per 100,000 people.
According to the CDC’s Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2023:
- Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death overall in the U.S., claiming the lives of over 49,300 people.
- Suicide was the second leading cause of death among those between the ages of 10 and 34 and the fourth leading cause of death of those between 35 and 44.
- Suicides (49,316) in the U.S. were more than double the amount of homicides (22,830).
If you are in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Lifeline provides confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Support is also available via live chat .
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