Short Film a Powerful Tribute to Suicide Victim -End the Stigma
LONG STRUGGLE
The last time Eric Lim, now 27, spoke with his sister, she told him how much she loved him and that she was proud of him for pursuing a career in film.Two weeks later, on June 6, 2011, Tanya suffocated herself to death in suburban Chicago.
She had recently resumed antidepressant medication. The week before her death she told her parents the medication wasn’t working. Her doctor said to hold on and wait a few more weeks.
But her Web browser history traces her declining state of mind.
She went from downloading information about Ph.D. programs, to viewing inpatient psychiatric facilities, and finally methods for taking her own life.
The night before, Tanya had eaten dinner with her dad, Dr. Jit Kim Lim, 80. She went to bed while he watched TV. His wife, Ursula Lim, was in California with their son. The couple has since moved to Orange County.
Their father is a retired neurosurgeon and wants to see more education about depression.“They have made leaps and bounds with medical advances and technology,” Ursula said. “With mental illness, we’re still locked in the 19th century. We’ve made no gains. We’ve made a lot of medications. Obviously that’s not working.”