My thoughts and prayers are with Marie Osmond and her family because it was reported today that she lost her son to suicide last evening. Michael Blonsil has struggled allegedly with depression for quite time. During the time that she spent on Dancing With The Stars her son was admitted to a rehab; the reason was never discussed publically however, Marie made a statement at the time that she loved him, he was a good son, and that she was proud of him for facing his issues.
It was said that Michael left a note saying that he planned to kill himself because of his depression. He said it made him feel like he had no friends and didn’t fit in. This is so tragic; he was only 18. Michael is one of Marie and her ex-husband Brian Blonsil’s eight children. He was adopted as well as several of the other children. It has not been revealed to the public what sort of issues that Michael had been dealing with over the years…and maybe it should never be information for the public to know. Those issues were private…and even though some of the Osmonds are very public people…they have a right to privacy as they grieve.
I do know that when you are an adoptive family, you often live under a microscope. People feel free to judge or to freely give advice on raising those children to the parents who have chosen to add them to their family. It adds a level of interferrence in the raising of adopted children who are being grafted or blended into an existing family. This is sometimes no easy feat; especially if the children happen to be a bit older when the adoption takes place. I can only imagine how much more difficult the situation is when there is fame involved with the adoptive family.
Depression is a big challenge and unless you have some personal relationship with the issue…it can be hard to understand. However, Marie herself struggled with post partum depression after giving birth to one of her children. It can severely affect not only the individual who struggles with it…but anyone who loves them. It is important to get help if you are dealing with depression. Many people don’t realize how serious it can be. Sometimes depression is a chemical imbalance and medication can help; other times, other therapies can be helpful. Talk to a health professional right away if you or someone you care about is struggling with depression.
I can only hope that the media will respect this family as they try to deal with the loss of Michael. Suicide leaves a lot of damage for the survivors left behind. There will need to be some major healing time for this family. May God help them all.
Please, if you are someone who struggles with depression or suicidal thoughts; or, you know someone who is…please seek immediate help by checking out this site: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or by contacting a health care professional.
.gif)