Out of the Darkness: A Sister’s Mission to Save Lives

There’s a common misconception that if we talk about suicide it puts the idea into people’s minds, this is untrue. The more we talk about it the more knowledge we gain, and the more we will recognize those signs in ourselves and others, as well as give those who are struggling the space to tell someone if they are not okay, this is so important because it’s the first step to getting help. Don’t be afraid to directly ask your loved one, friend, or coworker if they are thinking about suicide. Just a simple conversation can save a persons life, I want to be the person in my community to start that conversation.

-Fabre Sullivan, Chairperson, AFSP Out of the Darkness Community Walk, Sioux Falls

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) was founded in 1987 to educate the public and support survivors of suicide loss. One of these survivors is Fabre Sullivan, who (along with her family) has endured an almost unimaginable amount of loss in her life.

Family is everything to Fabre and she's seen a lot of change in her family over the years, as she has experienced the loss of four of her siblings to suicide.

In recent years, Fabre has turned this pain into purpose and joined AFSP. This year, she's the Chairperson of the Out of the Darkness Walk at Fawick Park in Sioux Falls on September 13th. She's also on the cover of the most recent Sioux Falls Woman Magazine.

Fabre has quite the story to tell, and in the pictures and audio clips and pictures below, you'll learn how she overcame these tragedies and reshaped her life to help others.

Fabre has experienced profound loss in her life. Born as the sixth of seven kids, she has lost four of her siblings to suicide, beginning in 1999.

Fabre's older brother, Cory passed away in 1999 at the age of 27. She was just 10 years old at the time.

Over a decade later, Fabre's older sister, Candi passed away in 2010 at 43.

Chad, Fabre's older brother, passed away in 2019 at the age of 51.

Most recently, her sister, Sam passed away in 2022 at the age of 35, the age Fabre is now.

In the most recent issue of Sioux Falls Woman, Fabre shared some of her favorite memories of each of her siblings and impact their deaths had on her life.

After Sam passed, Fabre went online, trying to find a sense of community and shared experiences. That's when she stumbled upon AFSP, and her life has been transformed ever since.

Fabre has had a longstanding love for baking, launching a side business "Make Your Day Cakes" in 2018. This year, she's putting her baking skills towards a fundraiser, where a portion of the proceeds will go to the Out of the Darkness walk.

Fabre's story is one of resilience and you can read more about her journey and the adversity she's overcome in the latest issue of Sioux Falls Woman Magazine.

The Out of the Darkness walk is coming up on Saturday, September 13th at Fawick Park and same-day registrations are accepted.

All proceeds from the Sioux Falls Out of the Darkness Walk goes to life saving programs, advocacy, mental health research,  and support for our loss survives. AFSP’s mission statement is to “save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.

Story Sources: AFSP Walks Sioux Falls Website, Sioux Falls Woman Magazine