Susie Reynolds Reece is no stranger to the desperate need for suicide prevention, having lost her father to suicide in early childhood and having dealt with major depression throughout her formative and adult years. Reece shares her story of childhood trauma and loss to inspire others to speak openly about our most difficult human issues. Reece is a proud Southern Fried Asian (Korean Arkansan style), published author, national speaker, and suicide prevention strategist and consultant.

Click to tweet: Susie Reynolds Reece shares her incredible journey on the i’Mpossible Project Show!

Time Stamped Notes

• 1.35 Susie’s mother is from Korea and her father is Caucasian from the U.S. and met while her father was serving in the military.
• 1.52 Susie’s mother left her and her father early in Susie’s life
• 2.15 Susie’s father ran off and got married again when Susie was little, and her stepmother gave her a hard time because she was biracial and also began abusing her (without her father’s knowledge)
• 3.11 Around Susie’s tenth birthday, her stepmother insisted Susie’s father retire from the military, which he began to do, and then asked him for a divorce
• 3.30 Susie then told her father about her stepmother’s abuse, which then led to her father taking her stepmother’s life and then his own life
• 3.45 Susie soon moved in with her much older grandparents who adopted her and raised her
• 4.45 Since Susie’s father’s suicide, she had a difficult time with it and suppressed it and spiraled until the birth of her daughter, which led her to want to talk about and deal with her father’s passing in a healthy and productive way.
• 10.14 After her father’s passing, some of her father’s friends and people who loved him grew into a support system for Susie
• 11.20 Upon the encouragement of a mentor and friend of her father’s (after her father’s passing), Susie began journaling and writing all the time, and it became a very therapeutic process for her
• 14.12 Susie’s dad’s name was David Reynolds and Susie uses “Reynolds” in her professional name to pay tribute to her dad
• 14.25 David Reynolds was the youngest First Sergeant in the Army and served in the 3rd US Infantry (ceremonial unit). He was on the first horse in the inaugural parade for President Clinton’s first term
• 14.55 David Reynolds was 6’6” and a bodybuilder
• 21.15 Susie gained a healthy perspective on life from losing her father
• 22.28 Susie’s favorite word is “change,” and if a movie of her life was made, either Jamie Chung or Lea Salonga would play the title role (find out more fun facts about Susie in the Quick Fire Round).

Key Points

• It’s important to remember the good aspects of a person’s life after they die by suicide, regardless of how they died
• Journaling and writing can be therapeutic and helpful in the aftermath of loss and trauma

Resources or Websites Mentioned

Susie’s social media—Facebook: (search) Susie Reynolds Reece

Susie’s website: www.susiereece.org

Susie’s non-profit: suicidepreventionallies.org

CHI St. Vincent (Susie’s employer): http://www.chistvincent.com/hospitals-locations/hospitals/chi-st-vincent-hot-springs

Susie’s story, Puzzling, (e-book) in The i’Mpossible Project’s Special Edition: Lemonade Stand: www.iampossibleproject.com/preorder www.iampossibleproject.com/lemonade