Episode Details
Back to EpisodesMTM - Interview with Larry Lawrence. Christophers Hope
Description
A teenager can be loved, funny, respectful at school, and still be in real danger. We talk with Larry Lawrence about Christopher, the son he and his wife adopted and adored, and the heartbreaking day they lost him to suicide at 14. Larry shares what Christopher was like day to day, how impulsivity and depression showed up over time, and what it means to live with questions you cannot rewind and fix. If you are a parent, educator, pastor, or friend trying to understand youth mental health, this conversation stays honest without turning grief into a sound bite.
We also dig into what helped their family keep going, including faith, community support, and the hard truth that grieving is the cost of loving. We name something many people feel but rarely say out loud: joy and grief can coexist. You can move forward without “getting over” your child, and you can carry hope without denying pain.
Out of that loss, Larry and his wife helped bring Hope Squad to South Carolina, a school based, peer nominated program focused on suicide prevention and mental health awareness. We break down how Hope Squad works, why students often tell friends first, and what peers can do when they see warning signs. Larry also shares the IS PATH WARM mnemonic, explains why asking “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” can actually bring relief, and discusses the troubling overlap between suicide warning signs and school shooter warning signs.
Listen, share this with someone who works with kids, and if it helps you, subscribe and leave a review so more families can find these suicide prevention and youth mental health tools.
https://www.christophershope.com/
https://www.hopesquad.com/
larryclawrence@hotmail.com
https://www.jacksonfamilyministry.com
https://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/