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The 19th annual Walk4Hope in Provo is pictured in an undated photo from 2023.

Courtesy Stephanie Hansen

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Participants are shown in an undated photo from the 17th annual Walk4Hope in Provo.

Courtesy Stephanie Hansen

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The 21st annual Walk4Hope will be held on Sept. 20 in Provo.

Courtesy Stephanie Hansen

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Participants are shown in an undated photo from annual Walk4Hope in Provo in 2018.

Courtesy Stephanie Hansen

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It’s been close to a decade since Stephanie Hansen of Provo lost her son to suicide, and she says there isn’t a day that goes by where she doesn’t miss his presence.

Hansen said her son Josh died by suicide during his senior year at Provo High School in 2017. 

“We had no idea he was struggling and this was a complete shock,” she said.

Josh, who was 18 when he took his life, was just months away from graduating high school, according to his mother. Hansen described him as caring and someone who had empathy for others.

“He had the car, he had the girl, he had tons of friends,” she said. “He’s (the) one who would come to me late at night and be like … my buddy needs to talk, so we’re going to go for a drive.”

However, she said he didn’t open up about his own feelings.

A few months after his death, Hansen, still grieving the loss of her son, searched for ways to begin the healing process.

“I needed connection; I needed other people,” she said. “I was just completely lost (and) I was looking for any kind of support groups.”

Hansen said she learned about Hope4Utah’s Walk4Hope, an annual event held each September in Provo.

In 2017, Hansen created a team to walk in Josh’s honor and she’s been involved with efforts to promote suicide awareness and prevention since then.

She currently serves as the committee chair person for Walk4Hope, which Hansen said has been paramount in her healing process.

This year’s Walk4Hope, marking its 21st, will be held Saturday starting at Timpanogos Elementary School.

The walk coincides with the month of September being designated to call national awareness to suicide prevention and fostering dialogue to help people battling mental illness.

“September is hard (and) it’s taxing,” Hansen said. “But after the walk it’s just very rewarding. You’ve been around people who know exactly what you’re going through — you can just look at someone in the eye and they just get it.”

Data reported the Utah Department of Health and Human services reveals an average of an average of 685 Utahns die from suicide each year, with 5,480 Utahns attempting suicide.

Utah’s suicide rate consistently ranks above the national average for the past decade, making it the one of the top ten leading causes of death in the state, according to the DHHS.

Hansen feels the key to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide is openly talking about it without feelings of judgement or shame.

“I’ve never been ashamed of how my son died, and I will be particularly honest about it, because I feel awful that I didn’t know the signs,” she told the Daily Herald. Hansen adds that the Hope4Utah organization has helped her cope with the loss by connecting with others who have dealt with similar pain and helping her be more aware of others who may be struggling with their own mental health.

As Suicide Prevention and Awareness month slowly starts to wind down, Hansen hopes others who have been impacted by the loss of a loved one by suicide can find solace through community and support at Walk4Hope.

“It’s mostly just to feel uplifted and to feel accepted,” she said. “Our motto this year is that connection is prevention.”

Hansen said the free event is open to all who wish to attend and/or participate in the walk.

Registration is at 9 a.m. on Saturday, followed by a short program at 9:30 a.m. with a child psychiatrist. A continental breakfast will be served, along with a dove release, onsite mental health providers and a pipe band.

Timpanogos Elementary School is located at 449 N. 500 West in Provo.