UNION COUNTY, N.C. — This week is National Suicide Prevention Week, and one widow is calling attention to veteran suicide.
For the last seven years Danica Thomas has been raising her two daughters on her own.
“I, of course, miss him everyday, and I wish that he was here to see the way that they are growing, but I think you just take it day by day,” Thomas said.
Allen Thomas was awarded two purple hearts, which are given to soldiers wounded or killed in action. Danica Thomas said his worst injury was after serving in Afghanistan in 2010.
“He was approached by a suicide bomber who blew up,” Thomas said. “It essentially took out his respiratory system, his left lung and collapsed his right. He had third degree burns down his back and he was sent home in rough shape.”
Thomas said when her husband returned home in 2010 he experienced severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
“It was a struggle for him,” Thomas said. “He had a lot of friends that unfortunately died overseas, and he just really struggled on the home front.”
As she raises her kids without him now, she wants others to know that the first step is talking about it.
“I just want people to know that reaching out doesn’t make you vulnerable, and it doesn’t take away from your pride,” Thomas said.
She hopes others can find the help they need before it’s too late.
“I don’t want to be mom and dad, but I have to be,” Thomas said. “I do wish that I had him here to share the highs and lows, but like I said, you just take it day by day.”
If you or someone you know is in need of help, contact the Veteran Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 or text the number 838255. You can also find them online by clicking here.