On July 25, 2020, a young woman named Romy attempted to take her own life. Now, she’s sharing her recovery journey with the hope that others will reach out when they, too, are in need of help. On TikTok, Romy shares that in her suicide attempt, she lost both of her legs. Recovery in the hospital would take months and was full of difficult conversations and times of denial.
But Romy carried on. Family, friends, and loved ones reached out to support through flowers and visits —even her Nan, who had dementia and lived in England, took the time to visit her in Switzerland. Over time, acts of kindness like these helped give Romy the push she needed to keep going.
Still, recovery hasn’t been easy. One source of joy, however, was in the beautiful sunsets Romy had the chance to witness from the rooftop of her rehabilitation clinic, a place she resided for six months.
“These sunsets were one of the only things that gave me peace, even if it was just for a few minutes,” Romy shared. “They were, and are still, the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen.”
During that time, she hoped to one day use prosthetics, only to learn it wouldn’t be possible. But with the help of her loved ones, including her beloved cat, Coco, she is able to take life one day at a time. Her brothers and cousins have even raised awareness for mental illness by running a marathon to raise money for an organization called ReThink Mental Illness.
“Life will never be the same again and there will always be regret, I think,” Romy wrote. “But step by step (no pun intended), I’m learning to deal with my loss. Talk about your feelings. To anyone. Don’t lie to yourself. It might save your life.”
Healing isn’t linear, and there are folks who care. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a loved one or call 988 (if in the United States) if you need help.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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