Since suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the US with almost 50,000 people taking their own lives every year, it’s important to shed a light on Suicide Prevention Awareness Month this September. To honor this month, we are shedding light on the tragic story of Kailia Posey and sharing two incredible resources that you can depend on if you or someone you know needs support and help.

The story of Kailia Posey

Many people may recognize Kailia Posey as the sweet face in the popular gif of the grinning little girl and it was Toddlers & Tiaras that launched her rise to fame. After the show, Kailia was extremely successful with her pageants and modeling career and was most recently named second running up for Miss Teen Washington. Kailia aspired to become a commercial pilot and continue working in the entertainment industry.

In April 2022 Kailia turned 16, found out the exciting news that she made the cut for her school’s Varsity Cheer Squad, and attended prom. From the outside, it seemed she had everything going for her. Unfortunately, on May 3, 2022, Kalia took her own life, and she passed away by suicide. This story is one of thousands of painful, tragic, and horrific true stories of suicide told every year and the subject continues to shock, anger, and pain so many.

Resources and help

Since suicide is such a tragic reality in our country, many important and critical resources have been established to help those in need. Some of the best resources to turn to include:

• 988 Lifeline: Dial 988 from your phone.  It is a suicide and crisis lifeline that provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress.  It also provides prevention and crisis resources for those who need them plus best practices for professionals in the United States. 988 was recently established as an easy to remember number, but the former National Suicide Prevention line 800-273-TALK will continue to function indefinitely.
•  My Ascension video: This documentary details the story about Emma Benoit who has a miraculous story after surviving a suicide attempt in 2017, the summer before her senior year of high school.  Her attempt left her body paralyzed but her spirit extremely passionate on sharing her story in hopes to prevent teenage suicide and to help them find hope and shine light on the youth suicide epidemic.
•  Crisis Text Line:  Text HOME to 741741 for free 24/7 to connect with a Crisis Counselor.  It’s an actual   human.  There are no judgments…just someone there to listen.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, it’s so important to be kind and talk about what you are going through. These resources are powerful tools that are designed to help anyone who needs it, and experts are on call 24/7 to help.

Help in Louisiana

At Xtreme Cleaners, we have professionally cleaned and remediated spaces that have been contaminated due to every trauma imaginable from homicide and accidental deaths to infectious diseases and suicide. With decades of experience handling biohazard cleanup situations with the utmost care and respect, we understand how important it is to handle sensitive situations with discretion and care.

While we hope no family is ever in need of our services due to the tragedy of a suicide, we are available 24/7 to help if you ever need us and can be reached at 800-524-9591. If you or someone you know needs help cleaning a contaminated space in Louisiana, we are just one call away.