Ritu Chatterjee

So a couple of years ago, Jo used her experiences to write a poem.

It's about what someone in suicidal crisis needs to get through that crisis safely.

And it's a message she wished everyone could hear in order to support a loved one who's struggling.

Almost like what she wishes every caregiver knew.

Exactly, exactly.

Actually, almost every person because, you know, everyone has someone who may be struggling, whether it's a suicidal crisis or not.

And Jo called this poem, Hold the Hope.

Around the same time, she began working with a group of people who had also been touched by suicide through a loved one or they themselves lived with suicidality.

And the group wanted to use their collective experiences to make a short educational film about preventing suicide.

The film, also titled Hold the Hope, uses this poem as narration.

And then this year, Joe took it to the next level by turning that poem into a song.

Yeah, Emily, I totally understand that.

And it's what I've heard from so many people who've cared for a loved one who's suicidal.

Most people in your situation feel like that.

And it's how Jo Lambert felt when she first found out that one of her loved ones was suicidal.

And she says she felt terrified about losing her loved one.

But, you know, eventually, by trial and error, Jo did figure out how best to care for her loved one during suicidal crises.

And a big lesson for her was that she had to put her own feelings aside during these moments and focus on the person in front of her.

Oh, for sure.

And you hear it in the poem, right?