LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX News) — A new mural near the intersection of Newtown Pike and West 3rd Street is bringing a message of hope to thousands of daily commuters, featuring the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline during Suicide Prevention Month.
The project was spearheaded by Tammy Hershinow, a volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, whose motivation is deeply personal.
"On September 28th, 2024, my son, John Henry, died by suicide. As you can imagine, that is a devastating loss, and so I had to seek out many ways for my grief," Hershinow said.
That search led Hershinow to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and to the idea of placing the 988 number somewhere people couldn't miss it.
"Our goal is to save lives and help those and provide hope to those who have been affected by suicide," Hershinow said.
Hershinow connected with artist Alexandrea Pangburn, who was approached about the project in May and spent several months working with the organization to find the right location.
"So they had reached out to me back in May and we've been working together over the past handful of months to find a wall and be able to highlight that number, so this is the wall that we chose," Pangburn said.
Pangburn said the cause resonated with her on a personal level as well.
"You know, being an artist, we are very alone a lot of the time and a lot of isolation is happening around what we do, which I have had friends that deal with mental health issues and suicide is something that unfortunately does take a toll," Pangburn said.
The mural is located on Newtown Pike where it meets West 3rd Street, a high-traffic corridor that Pangburn says sees roughly 22,000 drivers per day.
"I think that 22,000 people end up going on this road a day and hopefully that many eyeballs will see it and for a cause like this, I think it's so important that so many eyeballs are on it," Pangburn said.
For Hershinow, the message she hopes drivers take away is straightforward.
"I wanna let people know that they are not alone. There is help there for them," Hershinow said.
Molly Demrow is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Molly at molly.demrow@wlex.tv
