THUNDER BAY -- Two butterflies fluttered in a jar as Margaret Hajdinjak spoke at a press conference at the Canadian Mental Health Association on Tuesday.
“The butterfly is a symbol of rebirth,” Hajdinjak said. “Rebirth for anyone who has lost someone to suicide.”
When Hajdinjak lost her 26-year-old son, Steven, to suicide in 2005, she says she had to find the courage to embrace her loss.
It’s why she organizes the “Out of Darkness” memorial walk, a walk which honours Steven and aims to help others who have been affected by suicide in the community.
“I like the butterflies,” Hajdinjak said. “When I see one fly by I always think of my son.”
The walk, taking place on Sunday, is in its eighth year and Hajdinjak believes the support it provides for those affected by suicide is important.
“There’s something about people who say to you, ‘I know how you feel,’” she said. “They really know how you feel because they’ve lost somebody.”
The walk usually hosts around 300 people, all of whom go merely as a show of support for one another.
The walk initiates an important conversation surrounding the stigma of mental illness.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility to erase the stigma,” she said. “If you have a mental health issue, whether it’s, people think there’s something wrong with you.”
Hajdinjak says the conversation has become more open in recent years and attending the walk has helped her and those around her affected by suicide.
“It’s just something about walking that’s special,” she said.
No registration is required for the walk, which will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The three-kilometre walk starts in the Ryan Hall Cafeteria at Confederation College.
