When the colorful "LifeKeeper quilts" unfurl in May in

Washington, D.C., Kathy Bruce of Fayetteville hopes that as

many Fayette Countians as possible will be remembered on National

Suicide Awareness Day.

Bruce's mother, Nancy Jones, is doing the quilting for

Fayette's "LifeKeeper," a tangible and

permanent way "to hold close and to remember those we love who

took their lives," Bruce says. So far there are four squares, each with

a photograph and memorial thoughts. One of them is

Bruce's husband Marty, who endured years of depression and

various treatments before his suicide five years ago.

Fifteen persons will fit on the quilt, Bruce says, with "one

square that identifies the quilt as being from the Survivors of

Suicide group here, or just identifies Fayette County, Georgia."

She hopes that more survivors will contact her so that the

Fayette LifeKeeper will be full-sized.

Bruce continues her work to make the community aware

of ways to prevent suicide, especially for young people. Recently

she presented the first of a two-part series on "The Power to

Prevent Suicide" to her middle- and high-school youth group at

Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. Bruce also facilitates the

local Survivors of Suicide (SOS) group and plans to hold several

community-wide prevention seminars for youth.

The quilt project was begun by the Suicide Prevention

Advocacy Network (SPAN), a national organization for which Bruce

serves as quilt chairperson and community organizer. For more

information on the quilt project, SOS, or SPAN, call Bruce at

770-719-9893.

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