Fathers Suicide Leads Woman on Mission to Spread Hope

Death is difficult to deal with in any form, but the death of a parent, and even more, the suicide of your parent, can be devastating. Carrie Hugus recalls how she dealt with her father’s suicide when she was only thirteen in her new book “Crossing 13: Memoir of a Father’s Suicide” (ISBN 9780981593807, Affirm Publications, 2008). Carrie Hugus was only thirteen when she found her father in the garage after he gassed himself. Instantly, she asked herself why she hadn’t known to stop him, why did it happen to her father, and what could she have done differently? For years she lived with guilt, shame, confusion and an obsession with why. In “Crossing 13: Memoir of a Father’s Suicide,” Carrie relives the experience, writing in the voice of her thirteen-year old self, but also with the perspective of an adult looking back. As she takes readers through her journey of grief, she explores how children grieve and the effects of suicide upon family members. Because children grieve differently than adults and are less able to express their feelings, their pain may go unnoticed by family members and loved ones. A child’s unresolved grief can have profound effects later in life including difficulties with trust, problems with intimate relationships, substance abuse, and dependency problems. As survivors of suicide, individuals are at a higher-risk of taking their own lives. By sharing her story in “Crossing 13: Memoir of a Father’s Suicide,” Hugus explores the importance of helping children to grieve and cope with their losses. Beyond her own story, Hugus provides resources about suicide including Grief Support Tips, a section on Understanding Suicide, and Facts and Statistics. Every year in the United States, an estimated 24,000 children lose a parent to suicide—that’s over 700,000 children in the last thirty years who have lost a parent, and 80% of them grieve for a father. These children—many of them now adults—deserve support, understanding and hope. Hugus says of her memoir, “My hope is that by sharing my story with other young adults written in their voice, other child survivors may be more open to express their own grief, work through their pain, resulting in less risk for future life problems and/or suicide.” Hugus’s story is one of emotional waves of shock, guilt, confusion, shame and obsession with why her father killed himself. Through reading Hugus’s story, readers understand the process of grieving and how strength lies on the other side. Hugus’s message will resonate with readers whether or not they have lost a loved one, and it will provide an example of hope for those struggling over the results of a suicide. About the Author A former marketing and communications executive, Carrie Stark Hugus is married and the mother of two children. She is a Colorado native who lives with her family and dog in Highlands Ranch. Carrie is a professional speaker on the topics of understanding and comforting a child survivor of suicide and helping adolescents with sudden loss. Besides “Crossing 13: Memoir of a Father’s Suicide,” she is the author of several life-skills picture books for pre-school children including “What Should I Be When I Grow Up?” and “Mamma, What Happens When We Die?” “Crossing 13: Memoir of a Father’s Suicide” (ISBN 9780981593807, Affirm Publications, 2008) can be purchased through local and online bookstores. For more information, visit www.affirmpublications.com. Publicity contact: www.ReaderViews.com. Review copies available upon request.


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