This little rhyme (in its many forms) has a lot to say to us about consequences….

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of the horse, the rider was lost;
For want of the rider, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail

For a year we have lived with the consequences of a decision that was a result of even more decisions…

For want of resources, he was denied help….

On Saturday, February 8, 2014, my brother, an honorably discharged veteran, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Frank was a tall, kind, and funny man. He wore creativity like a cloak, was inventive and talented beyond description. His love for family caused him to be, at times, protective and over-bearing. Then suddenly, 12 months ago, this enigma of a man was gone and our family is heart-broken.

Two weeks before he chose to end his life, Frank went to the emergency room seeking relief. He had been on an anti-depressant for an extended period of time, yet suicidal thoughts continued to plague him. He sought a change in medication, or to be hospitalized until he could better cope – anything. He asked for help, but help was not to be found. The mental health facility was filled to capacity. Frank was sent home without receiving the help he sought.

Someone somewhere failed to help my brother.

For want of help, hope was lost….

You see Frank was and is a statistic:

• In America, according to CNN, veterans commit suicide at the rate of twenty-two per day. That is one every 65 minutes. My brother was a Vet.

In addition, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

• Using firearms is the most common method of suicide with 50.6% of those who choose to end their lives using a gun. My brother chose a shotgun.
• White men are 4x more likely to die of suicide than white females who attempt it. My brother was a white male.
• Of the 38, 364 people who successfully committed suicide in 2010, the highest percentage of suicide victims were between the ages of 45 and 64, and 78.9% were men. My brother was 56.
• By state in the US, the second highest suicide rate is found in Alaska with 23.1% of its population committing suicide in any given year – it is barely beaten by Wyoming at 23.2%. My brother had lived in Alaska for more than twenty years.

He was a statistic.

For want of hope, a man found no way to cope….

The question that plagues me is, how do we as a nation, as a country of caring people, prevent this from being the only option that a person feels he or she has left?

For want of a way to cope, a man sought relief…

While “suicide prevention” seems to be the obvious answer, it does not work when help remains unavailable. So what can be done about the ones who seek help and find that help is not available?

The system is broken. There are suicide prevention hotlines, but a person who goes to the source of medical care and cannot be cared for should be able to ask, “Why not?” In my mind and heart, I want to find the doctor who saw my brother and ask him why he didn’t help.

However, the real question is, what can be done to enhance the effectiveness of a mental health program that sends a suicidal man home with the advice to call his doctor? How will we address the needs of veterans — and others — like my brother?

For want of relief, a good man died….

I understand that resources are limited. Even so, it is time to evaluate where money is spent. Before someone says it, this isn’t an issue of gun control; this is an issue of healthcare – mental healthcare, to be exact.

How can our nation reform healthcare and fail to address the availability of resources? We must evaluate the resources that are available, address the needs – meet them. We can’t simply reform one kind of healthcare – we must address mental healthcare as well. Systems need to be in place to prevent the tragedy that is now our family’s reality. The lack of available resources must be addressed.

It’s time to fix a broken system.

All for the want of resources to help….

I doubt that the person who told my brother to make an appointment even knows the end result of his thoughtless statement. Our family is living with those consequences every single day, and we will for the rest of our lives.