The Salomon family in Lower Macungie Township has a mission – “To raise awareness and meet adolescents’ mental health needs. If we could educate our kids that it’s OK to not be OK, change the stigmas of mental health and encourage them to ask for help, maybe we would have a greater chance to reduce adolescent suicide. We don’t want anyone to feel what this pain feels like,” Nancy Salomon said.

Their family of five includes Nancy and her husband Todd, and their three children Amanda, 21 and twin boys Carter, 17 and Craig who will forever be 13.

“On Dec. 8, 2020, for whatever reason, Craig ended his life. It’s surreal – literally watching your world implode,” Nancy said. “One minute your life is normal and then it switches instantly and turns upside down. You are in the dark,” Todd added.

Craig attended Willow Lane Elementary School and Eyer Middle School.

“He was a great kid,” Nancy said. “He was very active – involved in Scouts (Todd was the Scout leader), a wrestler who placed in districts, he was a catcher for Lower Macungie Youth Association and his twin Carter was the pitcher. Craig somehow managed to get lead roles in every play and had just been notified he was to be inducted into National Junior Honor Society. He played drums and was sent to districts in fifth grade while at Eyer Middle School. He was one of those kids the teachers really enjoyed having in their class. He was popular with plenty of friends and he was a leader. He was oh so loved.”

Nancy and Todd said Craig was never bullied. He was the kid that if he saw something was wrong or he was concerned for somebody, he would reach out and try to help them or get an adult involved.

“We don’t know what happened,” Nancy said. “It was during COVID-19 where classes were virtual and in person but it was not consistent. It was hard on the kids. He was 13 and had just gone through a massive growth spurt. For whatever reason, he ended his life.

“Everything in life now is before and after. There is such a clear line. Craig put a lot of pressure on himself because he knew he was capable.

“Carter and Craig were best friends and always in classes together. Rarely you saw one without the other. They had a core group of mutual friends and had their own friends too,” Nancy said.

“The outpouring of love from the community to the family really showed us how connected he was to so many people and how loved we all are,” Nancy said.

Since Craig’s death, Carter has had to work on becoming a new person without his twin.

Carter began hearing privately many of his friends were struggling as well. That prompted him to take action and the Salomon family realized there isn’t much out there for adolescents to deal with their mental health and heard the beds are constantly full in the hospitals and the schools have wait lists for kids struggling to get help. “There just is not enough out there,” Nancy said.

Todd said they later learned kids who are struggling go to a peer but not a close peer because they don’t want to burden them or raise a red flag.

Todd and Nancy found out later Craig told an older sibling of a friend he was sad and struggling.

“There is no doubt in my mind that he loved us and his friends. He would never intentionally do anything to hurt us. The front lobe is not developed until 25. Adolescents make impulsive choices.

“I believe Craig did not want to die that day. I think things got out of control and he couldn’t stop. He wanted the pain to end that he couldn’t express. Craig was looking forward to too many things,” Nancy said. “Nothing makes sense when it comes to suicide. Your brain is sending you messages that don’t compute.”

What they do know is that suicide doesn’t discriminate based on financial status, culture, sex, age, etc.

Carter then made it his mission to start a chapter of Aevidum, a student-led suicide prevention club, at Emmaus High School. Aevidum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that empowers youth to shatter the silence surrounding depression, suicide and other issues facing teens. The word Aevidum, which means “I’ve got your back,” was created by students after a classmate died by suicide.

Carter began working on Aevidum in the spring of 2022 and the chapter started in fall of 2022 at Emmaus High School. Carter felt this would be a way to help his classmates in Craig’s name.

Todd and Nancy heard about this group from another parent in Nazareth. Three administrators from East Penn School District accompanied Todd and Nancy to an event in Nazareth where mental health and suicide were discussed. “The kids were so open and vulnerable and we could see healing happen in front of us,” Nancy said.

Emmaus High School Principal Beth Guarriello met with Carter on her first official day of work and has been a huge supporter of Aevidum.

Amy Williams is the adviser. There are 106 members of the club which is a safe space for students.

In Lehigh County, Aevidum is in 9 out of 11 schools and Nancy said it’s growing.

Parents are reaching out to Nancy throughout the valley, saying they are worried about their child and asking how they can get them into Aevidum.

Carter said the group meets every other week on Wednesdays during Hornet Homeroom at Emmaus High School. They do activities to get kids to talk about how they are feeling and get involved. Leaders give paper hands to everyone to write a positive message. Participants then tape it onto a window or do whatever they want with it. They are currently making new T-shirts with a little competition for the design.

During a recent meeting, they had an exercise where students wrote messages on sticky notes and leadership picked notes out of the bucket and read them out loud. Once everyone hears the message, members give encouragement and tips on help with the struggle. Messages from members of the group are anonymous. During the meetings, the group has practiced mindfulness and listened to guest speakers on how to take care of their mental health.

As a leader of the group, Carter helps plan meetings, field trips, guest speakers and fundraisers. Money raised goes toward field trips such as a mental health conference and a youth summit at SteelStacks. Plans are for a field trip to experience goat yoga.

“Normalizing mental health made me feel really proud. We read a sticky note that said, ‘I was going to take my life until I found this club. Now I’ve made more friends and feel the best I’ve ever felt’,” Carter said.

Nancy and Todd have connected with other families who have lost their children to suicide. Abbey Wolf, 14, of Montgomery County, took her life six weeks before Craig. Following her passing, her family founded Abbey’s Bakery to raise funds for suicide prevention. It brings people together to talk while baking.

Nancy and Todd met Abbey’s family after a recent successful fundraising event in Delaware County at The Media Theatre with comedian Chris Nee. Nancy then reached out to Nee and asked if he would be willing to work with them.

Todd and Nancy are co-chairs of the action and engagement task force under the Suicide Coalition of Lehigh County. They are also board members of Aevidum.

Nee wrote the book “Boy Meets Anxiety,” a mental health guidebook for anyone with mental health needs in honor of his best friend who lost his life to suicide. Nee donated the proceeds to the American Federation of Suicide Prevention for Eastern Pennsylvania. This group also promotes the Out of the Darkness Walk.

The Salomon’s fundraising event through the Suicide Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, Break the Stigma Comedy Night, is being held June 1 at Civic Theater in Allentown and all proceeds will go directly toward Aevidum as a whole. Doors open 7 p.m. and the show starts 8 p.m. Tickets are available at whennow.com/event/comedy-to-break-the-stigma.

“The more that adults show up to events like this, our kids are watching and see that it’s OK to support mental health. We have to start normalizing mental health like we would show up for a cancer benefit. We have to be the role models and if we don’t talk about it, neither will our kids,” Nancy said.