"Don't blame yourselves, Mom and Dad, I love you." It was signed, "Love Mike 11:45pm". In a move that totally stunned all who know him. Mike shot himself at a time of deepest despair. At 11:52 PM his parents pulled into the driveway behind that bright yellow Mustang, -seven minutes too late!

The legacy started when Mike rescued a 1968 Ford Mustang from a field where it had sat neglected. He bought it, rebuilt it and painted it bright yellow. As Mike, and his mustang became more and more active helping other teens and friends - giving them rides to and from school and work he became known as "Mustang Mike". Streams of stories began emerging of the help Mike had given so many people. A young mother whose car had broken down late one night, leaving her and her two small children stranded on a dark road Mike stopped and shown her his driver's license assure her he would not harm them, got her car started, then accompanied them home to be sure they had arrived safely.

A classmate told of how Mike had canceled his order for a new transmission and bought two used ones from the salvage yard instead so that his classmate could get his car running too.

As the teens gathered to comfort the family, and each other, they discussed the tragedy of losing Mike. Mike's mom talked with the teens about creating mementoes that others could have to remember him with, and she decided that yellow would be used in honor of the cherished yellow mustang. In response to teens asking what can we do?, she told them, 'don't do this, don't attempt suicide'. 'If you are ever at this point of despair, please ask for help!' As the statement (now the message on the front of the Yellow Ribbon card) was said repeatedly by Mike's parents to teens streaming through the house in the hours and days after Mike's death, it became clear that that message must be made available to teens everywhere. Cards were made with the message to reach out for help, to never commit suicide!

On the night before Mike's memorial services, his friends shared their grief and their tears as they pinned ribbons on the cards. Five hundred ribbon cards were placed in a basket and set out at his services. All the ribbon cards were gone at the end of the services!

Teens soon began to call and write, asking for 'those yellow ribbon cards', 'I want to give them to my best friend in case he/she would ever be in trouble and need help'. The program began to spread and save countless precious lives.

The program is worldwide today, continuing to grow and reach youth with help and comfort.

The Emmes tell adults that suicide is about pain. They tell students if you’re ever in so much pain that you’re considering suicide, hand a yellow ribbon card to a parent, counselor, teacher, minister or friend.

This is a wallet-sized card, which speaks for the young person if he or she cannot. It sets out these life-saving steps to help the person who receives the card: “Stay with the person – you are their lifeline! Listen, really listen. Take them seriously! Get or call help immediately.”

The telephone number listed on the card is for the 24-hour Macomb County Crisis Center.

During the week of March 19, many of the county’s public school districts and some parochial schools implemented Macomb’s Yellow Ribbon campaign. An estimated 50,000 students, parents and concerned adults received yellow ribbons, the wallet-sized cards, and other material during meetings with counselors. In the fall, the campaign will be extended to additional school districts and contact with such youth-affiliated organizations as church youth groups, community youth agencies and parish nurses. According to the Emmes, the scope of Macomb’s Yellow Ribbon campaign is, along with another launch in California, the largest in the United States.

Macomb’s Yellow Ribbon Program is the result of a community effort by many organizations. The campaign was initiated by the Auxiliary to the Macomb County Osteopathic Society and Creating a Healthier Macomb, an umbrella organization that brings together hundreds of volunteers and professionals from schools, hospitals and agencies to carry out 50 community goals set by county residents in 1995. The Macomb Intermediate School District took a leadership position in implementing the program within the schools. This community effort has involved six months of effort. Preparations have included:

• an educational forum attended by 100 school personnel on youth suicide and the campaign message, co-sponsored by the Macomb Crisis Center Staff and the Macomb Intermediate School District
• recommendations on ways to reach parents and students
• distribution of materials to the schools, and
• visits to schools by Glenda Everett, executive director of the Michigan Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program. (Please see the attached press release on Everett whose story and dedication is similar to the Emme’s.)

Phase two of the Yellow Ribbon campaign has already begun with a new round of training of interested school personnel and parish nurses at the MISD. CHM plans to invite the participation of more school districts and youth-affiliated organizations such as church youth groups, community youth agencies and parish nurses.

Funding for the Emmes’ visit comes, primarily, from the Auxiliary to the Macomb County Osteopathic Society, Aid Association for Lutherans, Branch 3503, MCG Foundation, and Mount Clemens General Hospital.

Glenda Everett, the Michigan Executive Director of the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program, has a passion for saving young people from suicide. She speaks to students around the state and has spent considerable time recently in Macomb County schools telling students the story of her 14 year-old son Jesse. He committed suicide on Nov. 30, 1996.

“In the story, the students hear his pain and hear his mom’s pain,” said Everett. “They trust me and feel I care about them. They open up to me and I make myself available to them. Tell me anything, I say.”

She gives out her email address at the end of her talk and says, “Write me.”

Her goal for them is to help them identify their pain and to break through the code of silence among young people.

“The Yellow Ribbon stands for a promise to not harm ourselves in any way and to help others,” Everett said. “In my talks, I try to plant some seeds on how they can handle problems and make good healthy choices in their lives.”

She believes that, in nine out of 10 cases, kids tell others kids before attempting suicide, so she tells the students, “Today I release you from the traditional code of silence. Use your instincts. If a friend is not doing or saying things like that friend used to, if that individual talks of suicide, take your friend seriously. Get help for that person.”

Michigan, according to Everett, is one of the most pro-active states for suicide prevention. For more information, call her at 734-266-0566.