For Kym and Kelly Hilinski, Ozzie’s in Seattle is one of the many stops on a road trip to raise awareness. The mother and son traveled from California to Washington to mark what would have been Tyler Hilinski’s 22nd birthday.
“We’ve heard the first year is the hardest. You go through the holidays without them. You go through birthdays, you go through everything for the first time without them,” said Kelly, Tyler’s oldest brother.
“His name is not going to be forgotten and what happened to Tyler is not going to be in vain,” said Kym Hilinski.
Washington State University is where Tyler Hilinski was the well-known and well-liked quarterback. It is also where his life came to an end on January 16.
“If he couldn’t tell us something was bothering him, then he absolutely had to be suffering in silence,” said Kym.
Tyler’s suicide is something Kym is talking about. Thursday she sat at a back table inside Ozzie’s with owner, Kathy Mahoney.
“He was a great boy. My son knew him. So it is just Coug family. You do what you do for Cougs. You do what you do for family,” said Mahoney.
In late January, Mahoney opened the doors at her bar and invited people in to sign a WSU flag for Tyler’s family.
“I wanted to write a letter and that letter that I wrote was kind of a crazy, difficult letter,” said Mahoney.
It turned out to be a letter that meant a lot to Kym.
“A beautiful, amazing note because they have been touched by suicide as well in her family, and I just knew I had to come up and see her,” said Kym.
James Donaldson is a former WSU basketball player who went on to have a career in the NBA. He knew he wanted to be there when the Hilinski family visited.
“I really wanted to meet them. They didn’t know my story,” said Donaldson. “What happened to Tyler could have easily happened to me.”
Donaldson says around Thanksgiving, his depression started.
“January rolled around and I heard about Tyler over at WSU taking his life. And I was probably in the deepest and darkest time of my little period that I was going through. I woke up the next day and I was just so compelled and so motivated to get out there, be a voice, be an advocate for mental challenges, for mental issues, mental illness,” said Donaldson.
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“It is really eye-opening to see all these people who are affected by it, and hopefully we can come together and make a change,” said Kelly.
“That is part of what we are going to do with Hilinski’s Hope,” said Kym.
Hilinski’s Hope is a foundation Tyler’s family started.
“If good can come from this terrible tragedy and we can help one person, then I know Tyler would be proud of us.”
Kym and Kelly Hilinski plan to spend Tyler’s birthday Saturday remembering him by hiking Mount Rainier. His family says it is a trip Tyler had said he wanted to do before he graduated.
If you need someone to talk to, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The number is 1-800-273-8255. It’s available 24 hours a day.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
[email protected]
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org