An 8-year-old girl in Wisconsin is showing exceptional maturity by hosting a lemonade stand to raise money and awareness for mental health after learning her father’s death was due to suicide.
Kyleigh Brunette was only 6 years old when her father, Jordan Wakefield, died in 2019. At the time, her mother, Brittany Brunette-Thimmesch, decided she was too young to know the full reason behind her father’s death. A couple months ago, Brittany decided Kyleigh was ready and had the difficult conversation with her daughter. Brittany had prepared for this moment by consulting a therapist.
Brittany told Today Parents that waiting for the right moment was not easy: “From day one, she was asking ‘how?’ and I’d say, ‘I don’t know. We have to wait for the police to figure it out.’”
Even though it was not easy, Brittany knew it was the right decision: “She was way too young to comprehend and understand what happened. I didn’t want her to get feelings of like, ‘Why wasn’t I enough?’”
The opportunity for the hard talk came after school one day. "Kyleigh came home from school upset because some of the kids were questioning her about how her dad died," Brittany said. "So we crawled into my bed and had a very hard conversation."
Brittany told Kyleigh her dad had an illness. She said that even though he did not look sick on the outside, on the inside he was struggling with depression. Kyleigh was surprised at this new information. She did not know her dad was sad. Kyleigh told Brittany, “Mom, he was always happy. I made him happy.”
Finding out a loved one is struggling with depression is difficult at any age. Many people with depression do not show it. Brittany was also surprised to learn that Jordan, whom she had a co-parenting relationship with, was impacted by depression.
Brittany told Today Parents that Jordan was an amazing, dedicated father. “He adored Kyleigh. She’s an avid soccer player and he was at every single game. Jordan loved her with everything he had.”
Kyleigh greatly misses her dad. "I miss everything about him," she said. "I miss him telling silly jokes. I miss him bringing me to school in the mornings and tucking me in at night."
This summer Kyleigh decided to create a lemonade stand to raise money for a good cause. Brittany suggested she raise money for the Humane Society, but Kyleigh wanted to honor her dad instead. Brittany recalls, “She said, ‘No. I want to donate the funds to someone that needs the kind of help my dad needed.’”
This young entrepreneurial advocate raised $800 for Mental Health America Lakeshore — an amazing feat. This organization has also been instrumental in helping the family cope with its own loss.
Brittany is proud of Kyleigh for not only raising money but also helping people have a safe place to talk about the often taboo subject. “People came for lemonade and some shared personal stories about their own struggles. Kyleigh knows how hard it is to lose a parent to suicide. She says she doesn't want anyone to feel the pain she feels every day."
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
