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Danielle Leedy attempted suicide at the age of 22.
“It was very serious,” Donna Heck, her mother, said. “We did not know if she would survive.”
Leedy did survive, but what happened next left Heck and her husband Jeff at a loss.
“After five days in a level I trauma center, they said, ‘Here, take her.’ They had no suggestions, no help,” Heck said.
She made her comments Tuesday at the ribbon cutting for Danielle’s Lighthouse, a 10-bed supportive housing and recovery site at 87 E. First St. within the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Richland County facility.
Leedy did die by suicide at the age of 33, prompting the Hecks to found 33 Forever, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting mental health advocacy, education and suicide prevention.
Danielle’s Lighthouse will help those in Leedy’s situation. It is a collaboration, in part, between the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board and Coleman Health Services.
“Danielle’s Lighthouse is going to fill a gap that was in the community in regards to longer-term stabilization,” said Sherry Branham-Fonner, executive director of the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.
She said hospitals provide in-patient care, and Catalyst Life Services offers short-term crisis care, but there is nothing in the area like Danielle’s Lighthouse.
There will be eight short-term beds and two long-term beds.
Danielle’s Lighthouse to offer place for recovery and respite
“Danielle’s Lighthouse is really a facility that focuses on individuals who are transitioning out of the hospital have a place to stay and learn daily living skills,” said Hattie Tracy, president and CEO of Coleman Health Services, which provides person-centered mental health care and recovery across Ohio.
Tracy said the facility will seek a license in early December and could open in the middle of the month or at the beginning of the year.
The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health funded 90% of the costs of Danielle’s Lighthouse. NAMI Ohio contributed $15,000 toward beautification and landscaping.
Leedy’s memory was a driving force behind the project.
“They (Jeff and Donna Heck) have done so much in the community to support Dani’s desire to ensure that people who are struggling with depression and are at risk of harming themselves have services that will help them recover from their mental health struggles,” Branham-Fonner said.
Donna Heck addressed the standing-room-only crowd.
“We knew her legacy could not be her suicide,” her mother said. “She lived to help others.”
Jeff Heck followed his wife to the podium. Roy Leedy, Dani’s birth father, also was on hand. Heck provided sobering statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health. One in five adults suffers from a mental illness and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among those ages 10-34.
He said Danielle’s Lighthouse will give people the chance “to get their lives back, not only to survive but even thrive.”
When people enter the new facility, they see a large mural of Leedy and the Marblehead Lighthouse on Lake Erie.
Donna Heck said she and her husband bought a place near the lighthouse. She was excited for Leedy to see it.
“She never made it,” her mother said.
Other photos of Leedy in the facility were taken by her younger sister, Alex Leedy.
“This is a dream being fulfilled for a lot of us,” Jeff Heck said. “We know that Dani’s story will continue to make a difference for so many lives in our community for years and years to come.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.
mcaudill@gannett.com
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X: @MarkCau32059251
