Globally, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in individuals 15 – 24 years of age. In the US, the suicide rate climbed 56% between 2007 and 2017, for people ages 10 to 24 years old, and has continued to rise. Homeless populations are among the most unsupported populations while veterans are at 1.5 times the risk of suicide than non-veterans.  

December 29, 2021 marks the three year anniversary of my beloved grandson, Ryan Mark Marshall's, death by suicide. Ryan was a beautiful, maddeningly athletic, hilarious, and huge hearted young 22 year old. He was also very tender hearted and impulsive. In his memory, his mother Kristen (my daughter), friends and I created a 501(c)3 nonprofit called #themarshalleffect. We made it our mission to help prevent others from having to endure the unending pain of losing a loved one to suicide. To that end, currently collaborating with therapy groups in Centennial (Denver area), Boulder, and Fort Collins to fund Evidence Based Treatment called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for several individuals along the Front Range of Colorado who would not be able to afford it otherwise. In just one year we have seen two graduate from the program, and many others begin or continue on their road to a life worth living. It is our goal to expand our collaborations statewide, and perhaps even regionally.