Jan Deelstra wrote the book, “Blessings In The Mire” after the death of her son to suicide. The purpose of her book was to spotlight the issue, and potentially save lives. After the release of her book in February of 2007, she was inspired to form the non-profit corporation by the same name, aimed at raising awareness, funding research, and putting an end to the incidence of the nation’s 3rd leading cause of adolescent death, suicide.  She works daily to increase community and national involvement.  The corporation, formed on January 24, 2008, has already gained the support of several survivors of suicide, those who have lost someone to the horrific act.  She is developing programs to be implemented into the local schools that will empower children to “choose life.”  Perhaps most importantly, she reminds people to laugh, because that is the best cure for depression and suicide.     

On July 3, 1995, Jan Deelstra’s 21-year-old son put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Losing a child is always horrific, but losing one to such a violent act is incomprehensible.  It was a turning point for Deelstra.  She knew that something positive must come out of her excruciating hurt.  After confronting her grief, and writing the book to release her pain, she decided no one should ever have to suffer like this. She became the crusader for life. 

Jan Deelstra brings awareness to a subject that few want to recognize as reality. She allows people to discuss the issue of suicide, and empowers them to get involved and make a difference. Every sixteen minutes in America, someone takes his or her own life. Deelstra is intervening to reduce the number of deaths by suicide, particularly among our nation’s youth. She has inspired an entire community to get involved, to raise awareness, and to talk about the issue. She is involved with the local schools, implementing life skills to teach youth how to properly deal with their strong emotions.

Deelstra has lived a life that is nothing short of miraculous. She developed the Teen-Parent Program in the State of Utah, while being told Utah had no need for such a program, despite the fact that Utah had the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the nation at the time. Additionally, she has been many different things in her life, including single mother to three children, massage therapist, licensed Teamster truck driver, bartender, telephone repairperson, counselor to the impoverished, owner of a holistic angel store, interior decorator-specialized in energy flow and Feng Shui, California Realtor, and a published author. She is powerfully inspiring, to human beings everywhere, and she is my nomination for the “Hero of 2009.”

“Blessings In The Mire” by Jan Deelstra is available wherever fine books are sold.