Meet Michele and John Dietl. Here they are with their kids, Kevin and Diana:
A prankster and life of the party, Kevin is dancing with his mom, Michele:
On April 23, 2015, Kevin died by suicide just 10 days before he was to graduate medical school. Any death is tragic. Burying one’s own child is every parent’s worst nightmare. Michele and John were so excited to attend Kevin’s medical school graduation. Instead, they attended his funeral.
It’s what they did next that reveals who Michele and John really are. They invited the entire world to witness their unbearable grief, to watch their every tear fall from their eyes, to feel the transcendent power of their love—not just for Kevin—but for all the other children like Kevin who they could save.
One mom and one dad have helped us all understand why we are losing so many medical students and doctors to suicide through their words, their tears—their lives. This isn’t a movie script. It real life. Meet Michele and John—the most courageous parents I’ve ever had the honor to know in my lifetime:
Please help Michele and John prevent the next death by sharing their story in honor of the many brilliant, compassionate medical students and doctors who die while training to save others. Thank you.
I finally understood what I had put my psychiatrist through in 2013. It took me a long time to learn that my actions really do have a profound impact on other people. She worked with me from 2011 to 2014 until the end of her residency, from Mayo, in July 2014. I put her through more crap then I would ever take from any human, however this amazing, compassionate, young resident never gave up on me, never! She taught me more about life than any human in my 41 (current) years alive. She taught me to how trust, then how to trust others, she taught be how to let others love me in and in return I was able to give love back to all the people I had pushed away my whole life. Her 1st year of Residency she lost a patient to suicide. I learned how this impacted her life. She helped me understand why Suicide is said to be a selfish act. Patients who are lucky enough to get her as their psychiatrist are blessed to have the chance to live, and learn from her. She is a Gift to any patient who has the honor to meet her. I miss her a so much. I owe her my life. And I wish I could tell her the depths of my growth since our last session almost 2 years ago. I owe My Whole life to her, for she gave be the chance to have the life I live now. She helped me see who I was, and to love myself. She taught me this. If it hadn’t been for her words and passion, I would have never gotten my life back and I would have never gotten my daughter back. Miss you Dr. G, From: One Blessed patient of an amazing doctor, Dawn
Kevin was a gifted, bright light, with a gentle, caring soul. We lost not only a great human being, but a Doctor that would have touched and saved many lives. It is my hope that we put into place a caring community for all of our future Doctors, so that they can realize their dreams, feel supported, and know they are allowed to be human beings, with faults and ask for the help they need without retribution from their medical and or academic peers.