“You may not be as lucky as I was”
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As a recent high school graduate, Joey Vallarian was no different than many people at that point in their lives. He was struggling with depression, drinking too much, and didn’t know where to turn for help.
Joey, like many young men in rural Mississippi during the 1980s and early ’90s, kept a loaded revolver under the seat of his car.
One night – after drinking and arguing with a friend – he made the impulsive decision to end his own pain. In a moment of crisis, he reached for the gun. He barely survived, missing his heart by an 18th of an inch. Now, he wants people to know that he only survived because of luck – and that others in crisis could be saved if their similar “red flags” are acted on for their own protection. But we need the option under PA law.
This is Joey’s story.