LUBBOCK, Texas — Nine years after her son, 21-year-old Riley Reding committed suicide, Renee Ross is sharing his story with firefighters and first responders across the South Plains.
Ross said Riley was a great kid with a bright future, setting his sights on being a firefighter and training through the Wolfforth Fire Department.
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“He always had a servant’s heart and he always wanted to either be in the military or serve in some way and the fire department was just a natural progression for somebody like him,” Ross said.
Unfortunately, Riley missed a deadline to earn his EMS certification, setting him back a year to become a firefighter. With a few other mistakes made, Riley began doubting himself and his future.
“For Riley, those steps back really were failures to him,” Ross said. “He just kind of went downhill that year and that’s when we saw him struggling with some things that we never had seen him do.”
Ross said looking back, she noticed signs of anxiety and depression in Riley but never expected it to take such a tragic turn.