{"id":556670,"date":"2026-03-31T18:49:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/556670\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T18:49:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:49:16","slug":"zeeland-family-marks-a-decade-of-mental-health-advocacy-in-sons-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/556670\/","title":{"rendered":"Zeeland family marks a decade of mental health advocacy in son\u2019s memory"},"content":{"rendered":"

ZEELAND, Mich. \u2014 More than a decade after the death of 15-year-old Zeeland East student Zach Kroll, his family continues working<\/a> through their nonprofit, Love and Lean, to keep his memory alive and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.<\/p>\n

Not a day goes by without Lori Kroll thinking of her son.<\/p>\n

Love and Lean: Zeeland family marks a decade of mental health advocacy in son\u2019s memory<\/p>\n

\u201cHe always had a laid back personality, very gentle, quiet spirit about him, but he also had a sense of humor that was crazy, like just witty one-liners and jokes, he was always making people laugh and smile,\u201d Kroll said. \u201cA compassionate heart, he would be the one to pick up someone\u2019s books if they fell, and he\u2019d be late for class, but it didn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether he was playing the drums or on the soccer field, Zach put passion into what he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was an amazing drummer. He was in the the drum line. And, yeah, he really enjoyed that,\u201d Kroll said. “He was athletic. He played soccer through middle school, and then once he started high school, he focused more on the drums. And, he got a job at 15 years old at Culver\u2019s.”<\/p>\n

\"ZACH<\/p>\n

Alina Hauter\/FOX 17<\/p>\n

Zach Kroll<\/p>\n

Zach\u2019s death in 2015 shocked the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it happened, the community, our family, his friends \u2014 everybody was in total shock, because Zach was the kid that made everybody laugh and smile, and was always upbeat,\u201d Kroll said.<\/p>\n

Kroll said her son had been masking struggles with depression.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told me everything, and I just don\u2019t understand why he couldn\u2019t share with me his struggle with depression. But we had no clue. Not a clue. There were no signs at all,\u201d she said. \u201cWe would have moved heaven and earth to help him if we would have known.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the stigma surrounding mental health struggles was greater 11 years ago.<\/p>\n

\"LORI<\/p>\n

Alina Hauter\/FOX 17<\/p>\n

Lori Kroll<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just breaks our heart that he didn\u2019t reach out. The shame and the secrecy \u2014 that\u2019s what\u2019s challenged us to help make a difference in other people\u2019s lives, and to decrease that shame and secrecy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Kroll family soon began advocating for open mental health conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis life purpose didn\u2019t end when he died. I feel like it just keeps being carried on in a different way, like it\u2019s part of our story now,\u201d Kroll said. \u201cIt\u2019s part of his story, it\u2019s part of God\u2019s story that we\u2019re just continuing to reach people and making mental health everyday conversation, and having people feel like they\u2019re not alone in this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The advocacy started with participation in the Mental Health Foundation<\/a> of West Michigan\u2019s Stomp Out Stigma Walk in Grand Rapids in 2016.<\/p>\n

\"ZACH<\/p>\n

Alina Hauter\/FOX 17<\/p>\n

The Kroll siblings<\/p>\n

\u201cThat next year, we had about 50 people \u2014 like Zach\u2019s friends, some of his teachers, family \u2014 all gathered in Grand Rapids at the Stomp Out Stigma Walk, and we walked in memory of Zach there,\u201d Kroll said.<\/p>\n

That walk inspired a local effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had lunch with a friend, and we thought, that was cool, but what if we could do something here in this area for our own community, still supporting the Mental Health Foundation,\u201d Kroll said.<\/p>\n

The name \u201cLove and Lean\u201d<\/a> came from a dream Lori Kroll had after her son\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout a year before, I had had a dream and it was Zach\u2019s voice that I woke up hearing him say, love and lean, love and lean, love and lean. And it was like, okay, I don\u2019t know what this means, but I\u2019m going to get up at two in the morning and write it down,\u201d she said. \u201cHe always loved stick figures. He would draw on his school assignments or the whiteboard at work. And I started drawing some of the stick figures that went with Love and Lean.”<\/p>\n

\"LOVE<\/p>\n

Love and Lean<\/p>\n

The event has grown into an annual 5K at Zeeland Stadium<\/a>, now part of the Love and Lean nonprofit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be our fifth year with adding the run. We started with 50 people at Stomp Out Stigma, and it\u2019s grown over the years. Last year we had about 650 gather,\u201d Kroll said.<\/p>\n

The 10th annual Love and Lean Walk\/Run will be held the morning of Saturday, April 25, at Zeeland Stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s just such a sense of community that day where everybody\u2019s coming together \u2014 maybe they\u2019ve lost a loved one to suicide, maybe they\u2019re struggling themselves and feel alone, maybe they\u2019re walking alongside somebody,\u201d Kroll said.<\/p>\n

\"LOVE<\/p>\n

Love and Lean<\/p>\n

The event includes sidewalk chalk messages, signs made by local schools, memorial signs and live music along the route.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a guitarist and soloist in the wetlands, so that\u2019s more of a reflective part of it,” explained Kroll. “There’s the seventh-grade Cityside and Creekside Middle School band that will be playing music and pushing people to the finish line. We also have connection beads, so however mental health has affected you, you would wear that color beads.”<\/p>\n

Over the years, the Krolls have raised thousands of dollars for the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan. This year, funds will also benefit three other nonprofits: Team Be Better<\/a>, i understand<\/a>, and Winning At Home<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"ZACH<\/p>\n

Alina Hauter\/FOX 17<\/p>\n

Zach Kroll<\/p>\n

Although she wishes her son were still alive, Kroll said she believes he would be proud.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019d be really happy to see the progress made, that hopefully we\u2019ve saved other lives because we\u2019re opening up about our experience and our journey,\u201d she said. \u201cHe would give me a big hug and say, good job, Mom. I missed you, but good job.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can register for the 10th Annual Love and Lean Walk\/Run here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n

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