MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — Lance Cpl. Jeremy C. Heykoop was a marine, a father and a husband who lived in Muskegon before he lost his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. He died by suicide on Thanksgiving Day 2015.
Veteran suicide is an acute crisis wrapped in a national crisis. Between 2005 and 2016, suicide rates in the general population climbed 21%. For veterans, already dying by suicide at twice the U.S. rate, it climbed 26%.
Natasha Heykoop never thought her brother-in-law would be part of those statistics, even though she knew he struggled with PTSD.
"I saw him the night before he died. He was making plans for Friday. It wasn't a planned suicide. We didn't know how bad it was because he did hide a lot of the symptoms,” she said.
Natasha Heykoop grew up with him and already considered him a brother even before she married into his family. She says most of the men he served with in Iraq are dead, either from the war or from suicide.
Jeremy Heykoop had served two tours in Iraq. It was after his service that she noticed one change.
"We all saw that anger and we all just kind of would say, hey what's wrong? Let it go, it's not worth being angry about, but we never looked deeper,” she said.
The Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan has a be nice. campaign meant to help people suffering with mental illness. NICE is an action plan, that stands for notice, invite, challenge and empower.
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