EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio (WKBN) – A local mother and her community have rallied together nine years after the tragic loss of her son.
Shana Lawrence fights every day to honor the legacy of her son Austin. Austin passed away from suicide on December 13, 2015, at the age of 18.
To many, Austin was a gentle giant. A leader on the Beaver Local football team and an avid hunter, he loved life and was a friend to everybody.
“He was just like so wise beyond his years, but he was always that person that people just gravitated to, and people just walked to for his personality, and he always just lit up a room,” Shana said.
Shana said that there was nothing that indicated that he would take his own life. Austin’s family and community were in shock.
“It was a complete shock to us. It was a complete shock to the community, his friends, and the rest of the family. There was nothing that would even indicate that this would happen,” she said.
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Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence -
Courtesy: Shana Lawrence
One year after Austin passed away, one of his childhood friends came to Shana and asked her if she would like to participate in the Pittsburgh Walk to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Shana and Austin’s friend Renee Stewart participated in the walk and made t-shirts with the name “Austin’s Army” on them.
Austin’s Army continued selling t-shirts to benefit the foundation after the event. In Austin’s Army’s first year, the community organization sold 20 shirts. In 2024, Austin’s Army sold 200 shirts. The shirt design for this coming year is a silhouette of Austin with younger brother Shane in a field with animals.
“It just lately has just exploded, far beyond what I had ever expected. But it’s so comforting and just makes my heart feel so warm because I feel like we’re doing something good that came out of something that was so tragic,” Shana said.
Austin’s Army has helped out at local high school athletic events, worked with local police departments, and held many fundraisers in the East Liverpool and Calcutta communities throughout the years. The community organization has donated $8,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Shana hopes that Austin’s Army can eventually become a nonprofit organization and spread to all 50 states.
“That’d be something Austin would love because he was all about doing the best of the best. So if I can save one child in every state, I did something,” she said.
Shana wants to make sure that no parent or family ever has to go through what they went through.
“I want people to know, too, that the impact it has on your loved ones’ lives. It doesn’t leave you. It never leaves you, and you will forever question why or what could have done differently,” she said.
Shana will continue to try to be a resource to parents and families that need her help. She wants to try to break the stigma associated with suicide and mental health awareness.
“We’ve got to break this stigma around it. People need to talk about it. Mental health needs to be talked about. I feel like it’s number one right now,” she said.
Duane Piccirilli, the executive director of the Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board, said suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people in the United States. Piccirilli listed warning signs to watch out for:
- If a child starts withdrawing and talking about being sad or depressed
- If a child talks about hurting themselves
- If a child experiences a sudden change in behavior
- If a child starts giving away possessions
If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing overwhelming distress or a substance use crisis, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to get the help you need.
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