Speakers

My son, Nikolai, died by suicide on June 20, 2019. He was only 15 years old. 

Nikolai was an amazing kid. He was kind, inclusive, and loved big. He had a smile that would light up a room and his laugh was contagious. He loved fishing, building with Legos, working on trucks with his oldest brother, going to the movies, camping, riding his bike, and all the normal teenager kinds of stuff. 

Nikolai had two brothers, parents, family, and friends that loved him so much. He also suffered from ADHD and depression. He acted impulsively, said things without thinking, hated school, and struggled to “fit in”. He felt “broken” to use his own words.

As parents, we did all the things we thought we were supposed to do to help him. It is always after the fact that you realize you didn’t do nearly enough because you didn’t know enough. This began my mission of educating about mental health, mental illness, and suicide ideation. The more we know, the better chance we have of preventing suicide. 

On A Dragonfly’s Wings is the culmination of a journey through grief and wanting to do more, and desperately trying to save another family from the heartbreak of suicide. 

Join me in advocating for those who struggle in silence. Give them a voice and together we will break the stigma of mental health and suicide. 

Alyssa is an eating disorder and trauma specialist/therapist in Birmingham, MI. Her group practice, Alyssa Jesse Therapy, offers specialized psychotherapy services for diagnoses that require additional expertise and training for teens and adults in Michigan. Alyssa is a University of Michigan alumni, and further trained and worked at Michigan Medicine's eating disorder clinic and in adult psychiatric services for several years before opening her private practice. 

Join us at Innovation Hiils, address below, to hear and witness the progress of this amazing park in our community. 
 

2800 W Hamlin Rd

Rochester Hills, Mi 48309