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Donna and Jeff Heck carry their daughter Dani’s obituary with them.
“We are part of the club that nobody wanted to be in,” Donna Heck said. “Part of the club that lost someone that we love and treasure to suicide. … The one thing that we learned the most is suicide does not care about your gender, your race, your political or religious beliefs or your socioeconomic status.”
Their daughter Dani took her life in February 2019. She was 33 and had a lifelong battle with depression.
“She was accomplished and bold and beautiful and successful,” Donna said. “Everything a parent would want, except she was fighting demons within with depression,” Donna said. “…We have learned that just because someone’s smiling, it doesn’t mean we’re okay.”
The Hecks were one of four families who shared their story about their loved one who died by suicide during an Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation press conference Tuesday morning at the Statehouse. September is National Suicide Prevention Month and Tuesday was World Suicide Prevention Day.