In memory and movement: Mom honors son’s legacy through grief and green ribbons

Thuy Husmann still cries every day.

“I still expect him to walk through the door,” she said.

Her son Aaron died by suicide in April 2023, during his junior year at Eden Prairie High School. He was 17.

She hasn’t returned to work. Panic attacks come without warning. Some days, it’s hard to speak at all. But on Saturday morning, she’ll show up.

“It coincides with Brighter Days’ walk, so this year we’re joining their event,” Husmann said. “They also offer free resources and other programs. It’s in remembrance, but also about supporting mental health awareness.”

This marks the third remembrance Husmann has organized since Aaron’s death.

The first took place shortly after his passing. The second was held last year outside St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie.

This year, Husmann chose to partner with the nonprofit Brighter Days Family Grief Center rather than hold a separate gathering. She said she intentionally aligned with the organization because of its mission and the support it provides families like hers.

The remembrance also coincides with May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, a national observance dedicated to education, support, and reducing stigma.

Run/Walk to Remember brings community together

The seventh annual Run/Walk to Remember takes place Saturday, May 17, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Bob Lambert Pavilion at Purgatory Creek Park in Eden Prairie. Although registration is closed, attendees can still participate by paying $35 at the door. Walk-up participants are welcome, though event items such as T-shirts may be in limited supply.

Husmann will have a table set up in Aaron’s honor with green ribbons, balloons, bracelets, and a photo of her son. Her team will tie ribbons along the path. 

“We’ve got a good group of people walking in Aaron’s memory,” she said. “We’re hoping some Eden Prairie High School track and field students can come too. They’re still wearing green ribbons on their uniforms this season. That means so much to me.”

Each year, the event brings hundreds together to honor loved ones lost and offer support for those living with grief. Attendees can walk a mile or run a 5K – or simply come to visit the 40-plus resource tables, participate in family games and crafts, or reflect at the Wall of HOPE and memorial tribute. Tribute signs line the route. Raffle prizes are also part of the morning.

Carolyn Kinzel, president and founder of Brighter Days, said the walk is about healing as much as fundraising.

“The purpose of it is twofold,” Kinzel said. “One, of course, is to fundraise for our mission at Brighter Days, but the other one is to just provide an opportunity for people to come together in community to honor their loved one.”

Brighter Days is a statewide grief center based in Eden Prairie. It supports grievers of all ages and provides services like free counseling, legal help, and financial assistance – all free of charge, regardless of insurance or district.

The organization is not limited to suicide-related grief; it supports individuals and families experiencing loss from all causes, including overdose, cancer, accidents, and trauma.

“All of the proceeds go to these kiddos so they can come to camp for free with us, twice a year,” Kinzel said, referring to Camp Erin Twin Cities – a free bereavement camp hosted by Brighter Days for youth ages 6 to 17 who have experienced the death of a significant person in their lives.

Husmann has been involved with Brighter Days in the past and hopes to continue planning events in Aaron’s memory, in the spring and fall. But the emotional toll remains heavy.

“I still expect him to walk through the door,” she said. “I can’t stop reliving that day. It humbles you. I was professionally successful. A Type A personality. And now I’m just learning to live through grief.”

A bench at Miller Park, where Aaron died, is dedicated to his memory. Husmann hasn’t yet been able to return to the site.

Still, she speaks about him – often and intentionally. She believes the conversation around teen mental health needs to start earlier.

“Every 40 seconds, someone dies by suicide,” Husmann said. “It’s the second leading cause of death for teenage boys. We focus on it in May, but maybe we need to be reaching kids earlier, like incoming freshmen.”

She wants students to know how to ask for help, and for their friends to know it’s OK to say something. “Are students really going to look at a sign in the bathroom while others are around?” she asked. “How do we reach them in a way that feels safe?”

Kinzel said she admires the Husmann family’s openness.

“They will not stop talking about him. They will not stop talking about suicide. And that’s a beautiful thing,” she said. “So many people attach the cause to the person – but that’s just not the reality. The cause was one part of their life.”

Husmann hopes the gathering encourages others to take a step – however small – toward connection and awareness.

“Just come see what resources are there,” she said. “Maybe you know someone who needs it. Maybe you just take a flyer and give it to a friend. That’s how we keep going. That’s how we help.”

More information is available at brighterdaysgriefcenter.org.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that while registration for the Run/Walk to Remember is closed, attendees can still participate by paying $35 at the door. Language describing Brighter Days’ services has also been revised to more accurately reflect that free counseling is available.

---

For anyone experiencing a crisis, please call or text 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or text MN to 741741 to access trained counselors available 24/7/365. If you or a loved one is at imminent risk, contact 911 and request a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer.