CDC Injury Center: Director's View Blog

Deb Karch, PhD

Guest blogger: Deb Karch, PhD

I wrote my first suicide note when I was 13 years old. I hid it and the many more that followed in my stamp collection, books or other secret hideaways, all places I knew my mom would never look.  For the next 15 years, each time I packed up my belongings for another move, I would find another one I had forgotten about. I would read each one with dismay.  I learned the hard way that an overdose only resulted in having to drink a thick black charcoal concoction with one ankle strapped to a bed frame to keep me from taking off.  Running the car in the garage took far too long and two rounds of Russian roulette proved me to be a very lucky woman.  

We see and hear about violence and acts of violence every day.  Some of these events have become so common that we no longer notice them, or are desensitized to their impact.  Occasionally, an act of violence grabs our attention, and moves us to want to do something to change the situation.

"Encouraging safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and their parents or caregivers is like a vaccine against maltreatment, and its long-term consequences." - Dr. Linda C. Degutis, DrPH, MSN

Imagine the call – “5 Bravo 12 is coming in with an infant who has been shot.” Just when you think you’ve seen it all in the emergency department (ED), something else happens – something that you could not have imagined.   

The infant arrived at the ED in the arms of the paramedic who had responded to the scene, and who was trying to give him CPR, despite the bleeding from his wounds and the lack of any signs of life.  But, how else can you respond when you find an innocent 7-month-old child who is a victim of shots fired through a window?  The infant was killed, and his grandmother, who was also shot, was paralyzed. 

Hey guys, I’m Zach Veach and I’m 16 years old. For those of you who don’t know me, I am a race car driver for Andretti Autosport, Michael Andretti’s team. I’m a part of INDYCAR’s “Mazda Road to Indy” developmental system with a goal of racing in the Indy 500 in just a few short years. Racing has always been a dream of mine ever since I can remember. I’ve accomplished a lot in a race car, but what I’m most proud about is having the opportunity to help people, especially kids my age, who are just trying to follow their dreams like me!