BATON ROUGE – After losing their son to suicide, one couple is on a mission to spread prevention and help others know the signs in young people through their non-profit and by “planting seeds of hope” to encourage discussion.
In April 2023, Jordan Tabor and his family lost their son Owen to suicide, just two weeks shy of his 16th birthday. Owen was a sophomore at St. Michael High School and was a starting football player for his school.
“I would call him the strong silent type, and everything came so easy to him,” his father, Jordan Tabor said. “Folks just gravitated to him without him really having to do anything, and he just had a smile that would light up every room.”
Owen was not bullied and was known as a popular student, Tabor added.
Shortly after Owen’s death, Tabor and his wife committed to turning their grief and pain into a purpose by creating the Rain Will Bring Flowers Foundation.
“He was loved and supported in every way. And I share that with people so that they understand that if a kid like my son could fall victim to suicide, then I really feel like all of our kids are at risk,” Tabor explained.
While suicide is one of the top causes of death for adolescents in Louisiana, Tabor said there is a lot of stigma associated with it, leading to fewer conversations addressing it.
“One of our foundation’s strategic initiatives is to normalize the conversation and make getting help for mental health just the same way as if you were to break your arm. There’s no shame or stigma in getting the help needed for that injury,” Tabor said.
The foundation has also been involved in Suicide Prevention Month and promoting community events that raise awareness.
“Planting Seeds of Hope”
Rain Will Bring Flowers is partnering with LSU Athletics, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health, and The Joe Burrow Foundation to put on the “Planting Seeds of Hope” event this February.
The event will be held at the PMAC on LSU’s campus on Feb. 12th starting at 6 p.m. It is free to attend.
“We’re trying to get as many young people and their families as we can there to hear the message,” he said.
Panelists Emma Benoit and DJ Chark will be speaking with Ryan Clark, a former LSU football player and current NFL analyst.
Benoit, a local of Ascension Parish, survived a suicide attempt in 2017 before her senior year of high school. She was a cheerleader and very popular, according to her story.
She now speaks publicly about her story of recovery and has created The My Ascension Project to help in suicide prevention.
Prevention in Every Parish
One of the initiatives of Rain Will Bring Flowers is the “Prevention in Every Parish” campaign. These are sessions for schools throughout Louisiana and can be tailored to each school’s needs.
The training is backed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and is free for the schools.
“We train students in mental wellness just to help them pick up on warning signs if their peers may be struggling, and to have them go to a trusted adult to get help,” Tabor said.
The campaign is in 19 parishes so far. Tabor hopes it will be throughout the entire state and reach 100,000 students and teachers one day soon.
He also said he hopes that packing the Planting Seeds of Hope event will allow more people to hear the message of suicide prevention and recognizing the signs in young adults.
“We’re just trying to protect the community and make sure that no other family has to walk in our shoes,” he said.
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