Mural artist and illustrator Carla Roque, was heartsick when she heard that 13-year-old Anaheim resident Mia Leah Mejia died by suicide in March of 2025. When she saw a picture on social media of Mia standing next to a mural Roque had painted at Barton Elementary School, she felt called to act.
Friends and supporters of Mia Mejia take part in painting a mural in her memory at Barton Park in Anaheim.
(James Carbone)
“I saw on social media the family was sharing their story of their daughter taking her life at such a young age,” Roque recalled. “There was a connection there and compassion for the cause of young people that are suffering and have taken their lives or attempted to. It is something close to my heart.”
Roque knew she wanted to do something to help. She reached out to the Anaheim City Council for assistance on connecting with the family, to see if they would be interested in a mural dedicated to Mia.
The resulting work of art is created to mark Suicide Prevention Month, which the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recognizes in September, and supported by Anaheim City Councilmember Natalie Rubalcava and Anaheim Community Services.
“The mural is intended to serve as a reminder to promote kindness, compassion and connection and to remind every young person that they matter,” Roque said.
Carla Roque designed this mural for a building in Anaheim’s Barton Park for Suicide Prevention month in memory of Mia Mejia.
(James Carbone)
In 2024, roughly 48,824 deaths were attributed to suicide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide is also the leading cause of death for people ages 10 and older in the United States.
While these statistics are sobering, it can be easy to feel detached from the information. It is harder to be emotionally removed when those statistics find their way into the local community.
Beginning Sept. 17, Roque got to work painting the side of a bathroom building a Barton Park in Anaheim, facing South Agate Street. The mural features an image of Mia, surrounded by purple poppies and butterflies, including one that rests on her shoulder.
Mia’s parents, Gustavo and Veronica Mejia, remember their daughter as a kind, intelligent and empathetic child. She played the trombone in the school band and practiced gymnastics at ERA Gymnastics in Anaheim, with dreams of joining the UCLA gymnastics team one day.
Veronica Mejia said she was touched when Roque approached her with the idea of a mural in Mia’s memory.
“When they told they had created this idea, for me, it was something good,” she said. “Honoring my daughter is something I want to do for the rest of my life.”
On Friday afternoon, she wielded a paintbrush herself, helping Roque fill in contrasting color on Mia’s cheekbones, creating depth on her face while sharing stories about her daughter.
Veronica Mejia paints an image of her daughter, Mia, who lost her life to suicide last year. The mural in Anaheim was designed for Suicide Prevention Month
and to honor Mia’s memory.
(Sarah Mosqueda)
“I remember she used love to do my makeup. Just for fun, to play, but she was very good at it … if I was going to a party I would ask her to do my makeup, and she always would,” said Mejia, smiling as she recalled those special times spent with Mia.
The mural also includes the words “The World is Better Place Because You Are In It” in purple against a bright teal background. Below, the words “Call/Text 988 To Talk” share the number for the NAMI crisis response help line.
“Of course bringing awareness is something me and my family want to do, to let young people in the community know that they have hope,” Mejia said.
On Saturday morning, 15 of Mia’s friends gathered to also help Roque paint a portion of the mural. Some of the teenagers arrived wearing T-shirts with Mia’s likeness on them. It was an emotional morning with friends and family offering hugs and support as they painted.
A friend of Mia Mejia wears a T-shirt designed in her memory at the mural painted in her honor, located at Barton Park in Anaheim.
(James Carbone)
Roque, who has painted many public art murals throughout Orange County, said painting a mural can sometimes be seen as a small gesture. But Roque said art the best way she knows how to connect with people.
“When I am wondering what can I can do, I always think ‘I can paint a mural,’” said Roque, “That is what I do. That is my way to give back or solve problems.”
The mural is also provided some healing for the Mejia family.
“I am thankful to Carla that she brought this project to the council,” said Veronica Mejia. “It gives me a little hope that we can do something good out of the tragedy.”
Carla Roque poses with a mural in Anaheim she designed for Suicide Prevention Month.
(James Carbone)
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call/text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7 or go to nami.org