Meaning of Logo:

Our logo consists of the words “A World Free of Suicide” and “You are not alone”. The middle of the logo is a tree branch, growing and branching out. The branches represent growth, strength and spreading the word to reach out for support or help. The words “You are not alone” states exactly that, you are not the only person going through depression, suicidal ideation, and other mental health issues. You are never alone, there are people and services who are there to advocate, educate and help fight for your life.

My Story

My name is Carson Lydon, I am a recent graduate of Ball State University and an incoming law student. During my collegiate years, I was fortunate enough to pursue a baseball career, pursue governmental internships and continue my pursuit of mental health awareness. Today I want to share with you a story on how my life changed and the creation of A World Free of Suicide.

It was just another day in English class, until I heard the announcement over the intercom. The voice I had heard so many times over the years spoke out to ask me to come down to the office. Walking through the door, I was surprised to see my mother there. I was scared and confused about what I might hear next. On February 14th, 2017, our community lost a beautiful soul. Will Manstrom-Greening was a childhood friend, a classmate of my brothers and someone you consider the beautiful in our world. I could not make sense of anything, and I quickly fell into a deep state of depression and suicidal ideation. For months, I battled with those demons daily, and there were times where I began to slip into a state where I thought I may harm myself. In those moments, the image of Will would always come back to me. I thought, “Why would I make others feel the same way I feel now?”. The sadness I felt for Will taking his life, saved mine.

One night I was hopelessly looking for help when I found the American Foundation for Suicide Preventions website. I found myself quickly drawn to the community aspect. That is when everything clicked into place for me. I felt a shift in my perspective. Instead of despair, I understood that I needed to do something to commemorate Will’s life. And, since then, I have made it my mission to stop anyone from feeling the same way Will felt the day he left us. It started out small, but I had to do something to further my desire to help others, so I participated in an event called the Out of Darkness Walk. The goal was to raise funds in memory of Will. Our first walk saw over 100 participants, with $5,000 being raised, but I was not done.

That event changed me and opened my life to a new venture. I had a mission I was passionate about. Through this new passion, I decided to focus again on the Out of Darkness walk, with a new name, A World Free of Suicide. In the fall of 2018, our team set out to continue raising funds and awareness for those affected by suicide. A World Free of Suicide was so successful in raising funds, that in September of 2018, it was named the highest-fundraised team in the nation for the Out of Darkness Walks, with over $20,000 being raised. Beyond establishing A World Free of Suicide in the community, which highlighted the importance of mental health awareness, I made sure Will’s story will live forever.

8 months later, in May of 2019, I formed and founded A World Free of Suicide as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Since 2019, we have hosted over 10 events and raised $70,000 towards mental health awareness. In addition to our organizations work, I was able to create a student-athlete mental health group at Ball State University called Chirp 4 Change, which is funded by A World Free of Suicide. As I continue my academic endeavors in law, I look forward to continuing spreading awareness in regards to mental health, as well as grow the understanding that individuals hold in the community. Though the loss of Will can never be changed, I will continue to make it my life’s goal for the continuation of his story and the advocacy for those struggling.