Iowa City woman starts project to prevent suicide among teens

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Abbey Schley knows firsthand how important it is that everyone feels comfortable talking about how they truly feel. After losing her friend Dylan to suicide last April, she wanted to make sure other families didn’t have to go through that. So she founded the I’m Glad You Stayed Project.

“I’m touching people and helping people and giving them the resources I didn’t have,” said Schley.

The non-profit supplies schools and events with pamphlets, bracelets, and t-shirts that advocates for mental health and provides people with resources to use in a crisis.

“We just don’t talk about it and we need to. It needs to become a conversation that’s not so scary to talk about, people need to know they’re not a burden for having these feelings, they’re not alone,” said Schley.

With so many students showing their support during instances like these, the I’m Glad You Stayed Project aims to also teach about mental health in schools.

To learn how to help the project or become an ambassador, click here.

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