AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)– May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and one man in Utah is shining a light on men’s mental health. Sarah Murphy met the man behind the I Love You, Bro project.
“I actually was thinking, I cannot let this happen. My kids are gonna watch this happen. They’re never gonna forget this,” Joe Tuia’ana remembers.
What started as a regular drive home for Joe Tuia’ana, became a life-changing experience. In January, 2022, Joe and his daughters saw a man standing on a freeway overpass, about to jump off into oncoming traffic. Joe immediately got out of the car.
“I was overwhelmed with fear, and I said a quick little prayer. The only thing that I could think of to say was, ‘I love you, bro.’ And I grabbed him by the hoodie and the belt and we slid down this concrete embankment and just sat on the sidewalk, and I just kind of held him like he was one of my kids.”
It was a life-changing moment led to a friendship, and those four words stuck with him. He created the I Love You, Bro project, which is a platform focused on talking about men’s mental health.
The project helps men get connected with mental health professionals.
The suicide rate for men in the United States is four times higher than it is for women. LGBTQ men, soldiers and first responders are more vulnerable to suicide.
In 2021, more than 47,000 people in the US died by suicide. 38,025 of those were men. You can find lots of information and ways to help people in crisis on the projects website, iloveyoubro.net.
And never forget, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential support for people in distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just dial 988.
