I Chose To live: photo stories of hope

The mission of I Chose to Live is to save lives and prevent future suicide attempts. The project is led by Lifework Photo, a photographer with lived experience around suicide, who designed it.  The project will directly address people struggling with suicidal thoughts through the purposeful use of stories and images of people with lived experience…..people who have “been there”.

The images and narratives captured in video footage, audio tapes, and still photographs will form the basis for a community-wide suicide prevention campaign. The project will also use the Chose To Live Blog on this website to gather your feedback, answer your questions and most importantly to listen to what you have to say about this topic or this project.

The Pilot Project will be with youth aged 18-26. We hope to provide a beacon of hope for young adults struggling with thoughts of suicide. We also hope to provide a learning opportunity for family members, friends, suicide prevention professionals, policy makers and educators to help end the silence surrounding depression and suicide. Destructive suicide myths will be dispelled, while messages that provide hope will be highlighted. A list of easily accessible suicide prevention resources will also be incorporated.