Health

With their military son lost to suicide, parents share a path to healing — and helping others

Published

1 year ago

November 11, 2023

With their military son lost to suicide, parents share a path to healing — and helping others

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

It has been nearly 22 years since Raymond and Mary Anne Burke lost their 21-year-old son, Matthew, to suicide.

Young Matthew Burke was home on leave for the Thanksgiving holiday from his U.S. Navy submarine duty.

He left to take a drive and never returned.

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Since then, the Burkes have been working tirelessly to bring attention to the issue of veteran suicide, which claimed more than 6,000 lives in 2020 alone.

Navy vets themselves, the Burkes spoke with Fox News Digital about their personal journey — and said helping other families prevent or heal from that same tragedy has become their “calling” in life.

It has been nearly 22 years since Raymond and Mary Anne Burke (left) lost their 21-year-old son Matthew (right) to suicide. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention / Raymond and Mary Anne Burke)

Matthew was a quiet and reserved child, his father said.

As “a military family, we moved around quite a bit and he was very reserved about moving,” Raymond Burke said. “It took him a while to adapt to a new location when we moved.”

Going into his freshman year of high school in Ohio, Matthew Burke had already decided he wanted to go into the Navy. He entered the Naval Reserve officer training program, completing four years in the ROTC.

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“He was just really excited about serving his country,” said his dad.

A couple of years after high school, their son enlisted in the Navy.

“He did some strenuous training prior to going, and he excelled in boot camp and sub school,” his father said.

Matthew Burke was a quiet and reserved child, his father said. As “a military family, we moved around quite a bit and he was very reserved about moving.” (Raymond and Mary Anne Burke)

When he came home for Thanksgiving, he was excited to pick up his Corvette and drive it down to the Kings Bay Submarine Base, where he was stationed.

“He did seem quiet,” Mary Anne Burke recalled. “He didn’t eat too much for Thanksgiving, which is very unusual for him.”

At one point, his mother asked her son what was wrong.

“He just told me that he was in the world’s greatest Navy on a ballistic missile submarine — and I just didn’t know what to do with that.”

“I see now that there were signs — but he just didn’t feel like he could talk to us about it.”

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There is a history of suicide in the family, Mary Anne Burke said — her cousin took her own life back in the ’80s, but it was something they had never discussed with their son.

“I see now that there were signs,” she said. “Yes, there was a reason for me to question why he was being so quiet and not eating.”

At the time, Matthew’s parents attributed it to the fact that he was getting ready to go out on a ballistic missile submarine in West Virginia, a new duty station for him.

Looking back, Raymond Burke said he could imagine how his son Matthew must have felt. “I remember as a young Navy sailor, when you come home on leave and then it’s time to go back, you have that feeling of apprehension … You know you’re leaving your comfort zone at home and don’t know what the future will hold for you.” (Raymond and Mary Anne Burke)

“Being military, we know what it’s like to be a newbie on base,” said Mary Anne Burke. “And I think there was a little bit of apprehension about being on the sub for so long — but he just didn’t feel like he could talk to us about it.”

Looking back, Raymond Burke said he could imagine how Matthew must have felt.

“I remember as a young Navy sailor, when you come home on leave and then it’s time to go back, you have that feeling of apprehension … You know you’re leaving your comfort zone at home and don’t know what the future will hold for you.”

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Mary Anne Burke, for her part, agreed that trepidation of the unknown likely weighed heavily on their son.

“Being in the military, you know that once you signed on the dotted line and you raised your right hand, there is a chance that something could happen, something could break out,” she said. “That was our duty. So that was always in the back of our minds, too.”

Walking out of the darkness

The months after their son’s suicide were “a dark, lonely period,” the Burkes said.

Several months later, Mary Anne Burke said she heard about a walk for suicide prevention in Washington, D.C., near their Virginia home.

Hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk takes place each year in a different host city, with thousands of people gathering to walk 16+ miles from dusk to dawn.

Raymond and Mary Anne Burke / Raymond and Mary Anne Burke

Many participants use the walk as a chance to raise funds for suicide prevention research, education and support for survivors.

“One of the first thoughts that went through my mind, other than the grief and the horror and everything, was that I really have to do that walk,” she said.

Mary Anne Burke signed up herself and her husband.

“It was the first time we had been among a group of people who knew exactly what we were going through,” she recalled. “And we could tell our story. We laughed. We cried.”

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“Just being in the company of people who understood what we were going through was tremendous for us.”

The first walk was 26 miles, all through the night.

“We dedicated ourselves to training to make sure that it would be a successful walk,” Raymond Burke said.

It was during that training that the healing first began, the couple agreed.

Ever since the year after their son’s death, the Burkes have participated in every AFSP overnight walk, along with many other events and gatherings. (Raymond and Mary Anne Burke)

“We realized in training for this walk that we were doing something to honor our son’s life,” said Raymond Burke.

Since that first year, the couple have participated in every overnight walk, along with many other events and gatherings. Last year was their 26th walk.

Today, they consider the AFSP to be their “second family.”

“After such loneliness, it was a great feeling being with so many people who have gone through the same sorrow and pain that we’ve gone through.”

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“There’s just a really close bond there, and it helps,” Mary Anne Burke said. “Just being in the company of people who understand and know what you are going through — it is a tremendous feeling.”

Her husband agreed, calling it a “humbling experience.”

He said, “After such loneliness, it was a great feeling being with so many people who have gone through the same sorrow and pain that we’ve gone through. And you’re doing something to honor your loved one, while also helping others.”

Today, the Burkes consider the AFSP to be their “second family.” “Just being in the company of people who understand and know what you are going through — it is a tremendous feeling,” said Mary Anne Burke. (Raymond and Mary Anne Burke)

During each overnight walk, the Burkes said they can feel Matthew’s presence.

“He’s with us,” said the mom. “I have no doubt in my mind that he is with us, every step we take.”

The Burkes offered some advice to other survivors of a family member’s suicide.

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“Take care of yourself first,” Raymond Burke said. “No one can tell you how to grieve. Do whatever you can.”

Even when the sorrow is intense, he stressed the importance of eating, getting exercise and holding onto friendships.

“We found out who our real friends were,” he also recalled. “They were concerned about us and would come to check on us. And that is so important.”

“If we can help anybody, and if we save one life from dying by suicide, then it gives our son’s death some meaning.”

Mary Anne Burke, for her part, urged grieving families to continue talking about their lost loved one.

“You need to talk about that person. You need to say their name. No matter how they died, they do not deserve to be forgotten.”

Getting involved is also key, she added, urging people to register for the AFSP walks and other events.

A young Matthew Burke is pictured as a boy with his grandfather. (Raymond and Mary Anne Burke)

“One thing that really helped us was a support group. It’s not for everybody, but I would say give it a try,” said Mary Anne Burke. “Different things work for different people.”

Above all, survivors must stay close to their family, said Raymond Burke.

“Hold your family close and do whatever you have to do to get through,” he said. “Take each day one at a time. Don’t look too far into the future. Just try to look at right now.”

Recognizing the warning signs

On its website, the AFSP shares some of the indications that a person may be suicidal — most notably a sudden change in behavior.

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Below are some of the red flags:

Talking about committing suicide, feeling hopeless or trapped, being a burden to others, or having no reason to live
Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
Withdrawing from activities and isolating from family and friends
Sleeping too much or too little
Telling people goodbye and/or giving away possessions
Displaying signs of depression, anxiety, anger, shame or aggression

The Burkes emphasized the need for the military to take a more active role in recognizing the signs and supporting the mental health of those who serve.

Raymond and Mary Anne Burke said their son, Matthew, seemed quiet when he came home for leave. (Raymond and Mary Anne Burke)

“There are a lot of people who are afraid to come to the chain of command and talk about having a problem, because they’re afraid they will lose their security clearance,” Raymond Burke said. “So they try to handle it on their own, and it becomes too much.”

Military leaders need to “get down in the valley” with those who are struggling, he stressed, and show them love and compassion — or make a recommendation to send them to someone who can help.

Raymond Burke does believe things are slowly improving. “They’ve made a lot of progress in the last 22 years, but we’re not completely there yet.”

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The AFSP is working with the Veterans Administration to help people recognize the warning signs in those at risk of suicide.

“The families need to learn the signs also,” Mary Anne Burke said. “I believe that’s one thing the military should do — train the families on what to look for and how to reach out for help.”

Veterans in crisis can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and press 1 for vets — or they can text 838255.

“He was just really excited about serving his country,” Raymond Burke said of his son, Matthew. (Raymond and Mary Anne Burke)

“As much as it was a dark time for us, especially that first year, there’s hope,” the mom said. “I feel that I have a different relationship with my son. I know he’s not here physically, but I know he’s around all the time.”

For the Burkes, their participation and volunteer work with AFSC has “become a calling.”

“If we can help anybody, and if we save one life from dying by suicide, then it gives our son’s death some meaning,” Mary Anne Burke said.

“As long as we keep telling our story and people see where we are in this journey, we give them hope that they, too, can have a happy life again.”

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.

Health

Elderberry Boosts Weight Loss and Improves Blood Sugar, New Study Shows

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21 minutes ago

January 17, 2025

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Elderberry Boosts Weight Loss and Improves Blood Sugar, New Study Shows

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Health

Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo loses flamingo, seal to bird flu

Published

52 minutes ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo loses flamingo, seal to bird flu

The Avian Influenza has claimed the lives of a Harbor Seal and a Chilean Flamingo at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo.

The zoo announced they received results that confirmed the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza was the cause of Teal, a Chilean Flamingo, and Slater, a Harbor Seal’s death.

“This is sad news for wildlife and for the zoo team. Not only are we facing the first known cases of HPAI in animals in our care, but we’ve lost two amazing animals,” said Director of Veterinary Services Lester E. Fisher and Dr. Kathryn Gamble in a statement. “While highly pathogenic avian influenza is a naturally occurring virus in free-ranging waterfowl, more mammal species have been reported to be susceptible to HPAI since 2022.”

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The zoo announced they received results that confirmed the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza was the cause of Teal, a Chilean Flamingo, and Slater, a Harbor Seal’s death. (Lincoln Park Zoo)

The zoo was unable to confirm the source of the exposure, but the Centers for Disease Control say that HPAI is spread through saliva, nasal secretion and the feces of infected birds.

They did say that zoo visitors are not at risk of contracting the disease from the animals at Lincoln Park zoo.

“Because highly pathogenic avian influenza is spread by free-ranging birds, it is no riskier to visit Lincoln Park Zoo than to enjoy a walk outdoors,” said President & CEO and ornithologist Megan Ross. “The zoo remains a safe place to connect with the animals in our care.”

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The zoo announced they received results that confirmed the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza was the cause of Teal, a Chilean Flamingo and Slater, a Harbor Seal’s death. (Lincoln Park Zoo)

The zoo has been monitoring HPAI, so there is a response plan in place. The plan addresses staff and animals. It includes personal protective equipment and removing cross contamination between species while monitoring individual animal behavior, according to a statement by the zoo. They have also closed the McCormick Bird House and will be closed until further notice.

The zoo announced they received results that confirmed the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza was the cause of Teal, a Chilean Flamingo and Slater, a Harbor Seal’s death. (Lincoln Park Zoo)

The zoo also said in their statement that it’s important to keep personal pets indoors and away from wildlife.

“Sharing this news of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the area is important for our community at large,” said Director of the Urban Wildlife Institute Seth Magle. “To protect yourself, do not handle wildlife. Additionally, keep your pets safe by keeping cats indoors and dogs on a leash away from wildlife.”

Health

Insulin Prices Dropped. But Some Poor Patients Are Paying More.

Published

8 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Insulin Prices Dropped. But Some Poor Patients Are Paying More.

Maricruz Salgado was bringing her diabetes under control. Thanks to a federal program that allowed health clinics that serve poor people to buy drugs at steeply discounted prices, she was able to pay less than $75 for all five of her diabetes medications every three months.

But in July, the cost of three of those drugs soared. Ms. Salgado, who does not have health insurance, suddenly faced costs of hundreds of dollars per month. She could not afford it.

Her doctor switched her to cheaper medicines. Within days of taking one of them, she experienced dizzy spells so severe that she said could barely keep up with her hectic daily schedule as a phlebotomist and an in-home caregiver. By the time she returned to the doctor in September, her blood sugar levels had ticked up.

“We were in a good place,” said Dr. Wesley Gibbert, who treats Ms. Salgado at Erie Family Health Centers, a network of clinics in Chicago that serves patients regardless of their ability to pay. “And then all the medicines had to change.”

The price hikes at the clinic happened for a reason that is symptomatic of the tangled web of federal policies that regulate drug pricing. In 2024, drug makers lowered the sticker price of dozens of common medications, which allowed them to avoid massive penalties imposed by the American Rescue Plan, the Covid relief package passed three years earlier. But that change backfired for low-income people like Ms. Salgado.

The decision to make these medications more affordable for large swaths of patients has quietly created another problem: a severe financial hit to the clinics that are tasked by the federal government with caring for the country’s poorest people. These nonprofit clinics operate in every state and serve nearly 32.5 million people, or about 10 percent of the country’s population.

“It’s the law of unintended consequences,” said Beth Powell, the director of pharmacy at The Centers, which operates five community health clinics in the Cleveland area. Ms. Powell said that while many consumers benefited from the companies’ decision to lower prices, “for our folks, that is not the case.”

More than 1,000 community health clinics around the country rely on a decades-old federal program that requires drug companies to offer them deep discounts.

Under the 340B program, as it is called, companies typically sell their brand-name drugs to clinics at a discount, at 23 percent or more off the list price. The same discount scheme applies to state Medicaid plans. But if a company raises a drug’s list price above the rate of inflation, a penalty kicks in, forcing it to offer even deeper discounts to the clinics.

For years, that meant that every time a company raised a drug’s list price above inflation, community clinics paid less for it. Many drugs, including insulin, essentially became free.

But the American Rescue Plan made a major change that hit drug companies with even larger penalties for raising prices. In January 2024, companies that continued to raise a drug’s price would have to pay state Medicaid plans every time those drugs were used, potentially costing the industry billions of dollars.

“That was a bridge too far” for the companies, said Antonio Ciaccia, a drug-pricing researcher who advises state governments and employers.

Manufacturers lowered the price of at least 77 drugs in 2023 and 2024, according to an analysis by a nonprofit that Mr. Ciaccia leads. The list includes widely used asthma drugs like Advair and Symbicort, as well as diabetes treatments like Victoza, which Ms. Salgado used before the change.

Once the pharmaceutical companies lowered their list prices, the inflation penalties evaporated. That meant community clinics had to start paying the usual discounts of 23 percent or more off the list price — far more than the pennies they used to pay.

“Unfortunately, the complexities of the U.S. health care system can reduce access and affordability for many,” Jamie Bennett, a spokeswoman for Novo Nordisk, which makes Victoza, said in a statement. “Even when we lower our prices, too often people don’t receive the savings — this is a problem.” She said the company also has patient assistance programs to make its products more affordable.

David Bowman, a spokesman for the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees the 340B discounts, did not respond to questions about how community health clinics were affected by the lowered drug prices. He said that other recent policies, including directing Medicare to negotiate the price of drugs, had lowered drug costs for low-income patients.

Because of a six-month lag in the way that 340B discounts work, clinics were hit by the change last July. Some clinics began calling patients before their prescriptions expired, offering to switch them to less expensive medicines even though they sometimes had more serious side effects. Others decided to cover the higher out-of-pocket costs, which required dipping into already scarce reserves.

Ms. Salgado said a nurse from Erie called over the summer to tell her about the pricing changes. Until then, she had paid about $15 for a three-month supply of Victoza, which is injected daily to keep blood sugar down. After July, the cost rose to more than $300.

After a few weeks, Ms. Salgado adjusted to the replacement, Byetta, and her dizziness subsided. But the drug must be injected twice a day instead of once. And Ms. Salgado must now use a special pharmacy 20 minutes from her house to qualify for the federal discount on the two insulin drugs she was switched to, the result of increasingly strict rules that companies are imposing on health clinics.

Ms. Salgado, who is 39, said she is determined to avoid the fate of her mother, who died of diabetes complications at 54. But keeping up with frequent pharmacy visits and medication changes is tough. “Sometimes it does get to a point where it’s like, I just don’t want to do this anymore,” she said.

The changes are also making it harder for community clinics to offer other services.

Under the 340B program, clinics buy the discounted drugs on behalf of their patients. When those patients have insurance, the clinics can then bill insurers for the regular, higher price, pocketing the difference. But now that spread — the difference between how much they pay for the drug and what insurance will cover — has dwindled. That has left clinics with less money to spend on services that are not otherwise covered by government grants or insurance, such as helping patients find housing.

At Valley View Health Center, a network of clinics that serves patients in rural Washington, the 340B money once financed a mental health program that employed eight therapists. In September, the clinic halted the program, laying off the therapists.

“It was such an abrupt change for us that it has definitely affected our ability to care for our patients the way that we needed to,” said Gaelon Spradley, the clinic’s chief executive.

Some patients who have seen costs go up have qualified for patient-assistance programs offered by drug makers. That was the case for Lorena Sarmiento, another patient at Erie Health who uses Lantus, an insulin pen. Last fall, after the 340B discount changed, she was quoted $490 at her pharmacy — the retail price for a box of insulin pens. Erie Health sent her to another pharmacy, which helped her sign up for a manufacturer’s coupon that lowered her cost to $35 per month.

Doctors and pharmacists at several health clinics said such drug-company assistance programs can be hit or miss. Sometimes they last for a limited time or require that a patient reapply regularly. Patients often have to be legal residents of the United States or have a fixed address.

“It’s a lengthy process, and it’s a lot of hoop-jumping,” said Michael Lin, the chief of pharmacy operations at Family Health Centers in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ms. Sarmiento and her husband, Luis, spend about $500 per month on her medical needs, including special food, medications and a glucose monitor. They are no longer facing the highest insulin price, but their costs are still 10 times what they were just a few months ago, when they spent about $10 on three months’ worth of insulin.

Mr. Sarmiento said he tries not to complain. “You always have to look on the good side,” he said. “But lately, that’s been hard.”