Are you CPR-certified? What if you could bring that same safety training into the space of mental health? Through her story, Shawna walks through how suicide first aid can be used to save lives, and shares some skills that you can use to help people around you take those next steps.

After losing her husband to suicide, Shawna Percy took to blogging and public speaking in order to help people going through similar traumas. Her talks and articles continually confront topics such as suicide, mental illness, resilience and finding hope even in the darkest of times. Shawna has appeared on CTV, and 100 Huntley Street. She has spoken in front of several live audiences at universities, churches, conferences and at Ignite Waterloo. She is the published author of "Breathe" and a certified suicide prevention trainer. Shawna seeks to deconstruct stigmas surrounding suicide and mental illness.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx