Oregon Senator Gordon Smith the Γ―ΒΏΒ½s son, Garrett, battled learning disabilities and clinical depression for most of his life. At the age of twenty-two, while attending the University of Utah, this popular young man took his own life. As parents, Smith and his wife Sharon, who had adopted Garrett as a newborn, were heartbroken. And, as a senator, Smith was forced to question whether he had the strength or even the desire to carry on in politics.
For the first time, Smith candidly retraces his son the Γ―ΒΏΒ½s life leading up to his suicide. He chronicles the crippling sadness he and his wife faced in the aftermath; and how, with the help of faith and those around him, he not only returned to politics, but became a fearless advocate of suicide prevention. His moving speech on the Senate floor upon the passage of his Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which increases federal funding to combat the ever-growing problem of youth suicide, brought a rare moment of bipartisan support on the Senate floor and helped open a long overdue national discussion.
Remembering Garrett speaks from the heart to parents who have experienced the same tragedy, or are fighting for a child struggling with depression.
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Diane Rehm Show - NPR - April 24, 2006 Today - April 20, 2006
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