\u2014 Sam Eaton decided to do one thing every day that made his life better or made the world a better place\u2026and take a photograph of it. He did this for five months as part of a commitment to himself to engage life and live it to its fullest.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn those five months I made some good decisions, and I made some questionable decisions,\u201d Eaton said.<\/p>\n
One day he bought a Groupon for skydiving and invited a friend. After brief training, he was strapped to a tandem instructor and the two launched themselves from the airplane, followed by his friend and a photographer. During the freefall, the instructor nervously gave Eaton a few directions that were not part of the training; he complied and kept letting loose adrenaline-fueled shouts of excitement.<\/p>\n
When they reached the landing zone, Eaton watched in confusion as his instructor dropped to the grass and lay there covered in sweat. Only then did he learn that the parachute had tangled and failed to open correctly. At the last moment, the instructor had cut it loose, deployed the reserve chute and guided them both safely to the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you ever decide to jump out of an airplane,\u201d advised Eaton, \u201cwillingly pay full price.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eaton\u2019s adventure was one chapter in a much larger story of his recovery from serious and persistent depression. A few months before skydiving, he had attempted suicide. Afterward, as he wrestled with that decision, he said one question broke through: \u201cHave you really given life everything you\u2019ve got?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eaton shared his story with nearly 170 people who gathered recently at the Broadway Ballroom Event Center in Alexandria to discuss mental health services in Minnesota and the five-county region. Minnesota legislators Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria) spent the morning discussing the issues with attendees and listening to the personal stories of individuals whose lives have been affected by mental illness.<\/p>\n
![\"Legislators_01.png\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.forumcomm.com\/dims4\/default\/c243f02\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1500x1000+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum-communications-production-web.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5d%2F96%2Fd953997840a79f4366e598daff77%2Flegislators-01.png\")
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Legislators Rep. Mary Franson and Sen. Torrey Westrom engage with participants at the 2026 Day at Home event. <\/p>\n
Contributed photo<\/p>\n
The \u201c15th Annual Day at Home in Region 4\u201d was sponsored by the Region 4 South Mental Health Consortium. The event brings legislators and constituents together for constructive dialogue on mental health and puts a personal face on mental illness in the region. It also teaches people involved with the mental health system how to interact effectively with their legislators.<\/p>\n
Some years ago, while Eaton was teaching music in a public school, he said a community tragedy occurred.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn one school year we lost three students, a teacher, and a principal who all took their own lives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/cdn.forumcomm.com\/dims4\/default\/b847c9e\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1500x1000+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum-communications-production-web.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F58%2Fd6%2F74e55b8a4c81b9a053ac58e1a448%2Fsam-eaton-speaking.png\")
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Keynote Speaker Sam Eaton tells his story of recovery from serious depression. <\/p>\n
Contributed photo<\/p>\n
Each time another loss was announced, Eaton sat at his desk and cried because he knew what it was like to struggle with mental health. His community struggled to cope with the grief, and it seemed to him that people did not know what to do or even what to say.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like I was screaming inside,\u201d he said. \u201cHow can we just be ignoring this thing?\u201d<\/p>\n
He decided to take action.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know what a quiet music teacher from Minneapolis could do to help,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I thought, I\u2019m gonna try. It became my new mission to get people talking about things that they don\u2019t really know how to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eaton founded Recklessly Alive, a suicide prevention organization. He has since authored three books and speaks to audiences everywhere with a message of hope, along with practical tools, stories and advice on how to engage life.<\/p>\n
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Attendee Beth Rader talks with legislators about the impact of fraud on mental health providers.<\/p>\n
Contributed photo<\/p>\n
Citing CDC 2024 data, Eaton said suicide remains the second leading cause of death for Americans aged 10 to 44, claiming 48,824 lives nationwide annually. Preliminary Minnesota Department of Health data shows a mirroring crisis, with an estimated 813 Minnesotans dying by suicide each year.<\/p>\n
Eaton coached the audience on managing mental health through seven core practices: bold action, self-talk, self-worth, resilience, self-care, purpose and connection.<\/p>\n
Attendees engaged in dialogue with Representative Franson and Senator Westrom, sharing personal stories of mental health recovery, discussing the role support services play in the community and the impact of fraud within the system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are looking at astronomical fraud in the State of Minnesota, which is definitely putting a strain on our budget,\u201d said Franson, who serves on the Human Services Committee.<\/p>\n
Franson said every year the committee hears it must cut human services funding because the rate of growth is astronomical and tax dollars are not keeping up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if that rate of growth is actually the fraudulent providers in the program?\u201d she continued. \u201cEach and every legitimate provider in this room and across the state of Minnesota is punished, and that is not fair. That is a travesty because those cuts hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sad part is for us as providers who are trying to do good service,\u201d said Beth Rader, director of a crisis stabilization unit, \u201cand that gets missed. There are people here to help, to save taxpayers money, to provide person-centered care, and to work as a team with our legislators. I want you all to know that we want to be a part of that team.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fraud is \u201cin the magnitude of hundreds of millions of dollars,\u201d said Westrom. \u201cWe\u2019re all harmed when millions that are intended for people that need it go to those that are greedy and fraudsters. We could fund all of these services better for those who need it legitimately if we can get rid of this fraud problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rader thanked the legislators for their work and asked that they \u201cplease remember the people in this room and their stories, because they are very important.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the 24\/7 crisis hotline at (701) 364-0431. For more information about regional mental health issues or to watch video from the event, visit <\/p>\n