>>> THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR PAIN
BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO
PURGE IT FROM YOUR SOUL.
YOUR LIFE MATTERS TO EVERYONE
WHO LOVES YOU, EVERYONE WHO
CARES ABOUT YOU AND PEOPLE YOU
HAVEN'T MET YET.
>> Martha: KEVIN HEINZ
JUMPED OFF THE GOLDEN STATE
BRIDGE AND SURVIVED.
IT WAS THE WORST AND THE BEST
DAY OF HIS LIFE.
HE SAID THE MINUTE HE JUMPED
HE DEEPLY REGRETTED WHAT HE
HAD DONE.
AND HE SAYS A VAST MAJORITY OF
SURVIVORS SAY THE SAME THING.
HE IS ON A MISSION TO STOP AND
TO SAVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS HE
CAN.
HE JOINS US IN A MOMENT WITH
HIS IMPORTANT STORY.
IT COMES DURING A SHOCKING
WEEK AS WE HAVE LOST TWO
BRIGHT LIGHTS.
DESIGNER KATE SPADE AT 55.
AND CELEBRITY CHEF AND AUTHOR
AND TV HOST ANTHONY BOURDAIN
AT THE AGE OF 61.
A NEW REPORT FROM THE C.D.C.
SHOWS SUICIDE RATES WENT UP
29% SINCE 1999.
HERE NOW TO SHARE HIS STORY
WITH US IS KEVIN HEINZ.
KEVIN, GOOD EVENING.
THANK YOU FORKING FOR BEING HER.
YOU JUMPED AND YET YOU
SURVIVED.
HOW?
>> Kevin: I DID.
I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE MY LIFE IN
A WAY THAT IS 99% FATAL.
OVER 3,000 PEOPLE HAVE LIKELY
DIED OFF THE GOLDEN GATE
BRIDGE.
I'M ONE OF 36 WHO HAVE BEEN
GIVEN THE GIFT OF A SECOND
CHANCE TO SURVIVE.
I BELIEVE SUICIDE IS THE SAME
THING AS LETHAL, EMOTIONAL
PAIN.
A PAIN SO GREAT THAT LEAVES
YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE WORTHLESS,
LESS THAN AND HAVE NO VALUE
AND YOU ARE A BURDEN TO THOSE
YOU LOVE YOU.
THOSE ARE ALL FALSE.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, YOU ARE
ENOUGH, YOU MATTER.
BUT SOME PEOPLE DON'T
RECOGNIZE INSIDE THE PAIN.
>> Martha: THE MOST
IMPORTANT MESSAGES YOU COULD
TELL ANYBODY WHO IS FEELING
THE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU
ARE FEELING.
TELL EVERYBODY AT HOME WHAT
HAPPENED, THAT INTERVENED IN
YOUR ATTEMPT TO TAKE YOUR OWN
LIFE THAT LEFT YOU ABLE TO
STAND HERE TODAY AND TALK TO
SO MANY OTHERS.
>> OF THE 36 SURVIVORS.
FIVE OF US HAVE REGAINED FULL
MOBILITY.
THE ABILITY TO WALK, RUN AND
STRIDE.
THAT IS A GIFT IN ITSELF.
I CAN TELL YOU WHEN I
ATTEMPTED TO TAKE MY LIFE, THE
MILLISECONDS MY HAND LEFT THE
RAIL, IT WAS INSTANT REGRET.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SAY THE
MINUTE AFTER THEY MADE THE
ATTEMPT ALL THEY WANTED TO DO
IS LIVE.
PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE
THOUGHTS DON'T HAVE TO BE
ACTIONS.
IF WE RECOGNIZE OUR THOUGHTS
DON'T OWN US OR DEFINE US.
WE CAN STAY HERE.
I LIVE WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS.
THEY PLAGUE ME.
BUT I WILL NOT DIE THAT WAY.
BECAUSE WHEN THEY OCCUR I WILL
TURN TO THE NEXT PERSON AND
SAY "I NEED HELP NOW."
I WILL SURVIVE THE PAIN.
BUT GIVEN THAT I ATTEMPTED AND
WHAT SAVED ME IN THE WATER I
FLAILED TO STAY AFLOAT AND I
COULDN'T STAY ABOVE WATER.
A SEA LION CAME TO MY AID AND
BUMPED ME UP UNTIL THE COAST
GUARD BOAT ARRIVED BEHIND ME.
THAT IS MY MIRACLE.
I GOT TO LIVE HERE BECAUSE A
CREATURE SAW ME IN DANGER AND
ACTED IMMEDIATELY.
THAT IS MY GUARDIAN ANGEL WHO
SAVED ME THAT DAY.
WITH THE COAST GUARD WHO
PULLED ME FROM THE DOCTOR AND
THE BACK DOCTOR THAT GAVE ME
THE ABILITY TO WALK AND RUN
AND STAND.
>> Martha: I KNOW YOU SAID
HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ON
THAT DAY AND HE WAS.
YOU HAD A CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS
THAT SAVED YOU.
I LOVE THE SEA LION PART OF
THE STORY.
I CAN IMAGINE HIM COMING UP
UNDER THE WATER TO BOLSTER YOU
IN THE MOMENT WHEN YOU NEEDED
IT SO MUCH.
SO MANY ARE FEELING SO MUCH
FROM WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK
WITH KATE SPADE AND ANTHONY
BOURDAIN.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM ABOUT
HOW TO RESPOND TO THAT WHEN WE
DON'T KNOW THE PERSON.
>> WE KNOW OF THEM.
WE ARE OBSESSED WITH THE
CELEBRITY IN THIS CULTURE TOO
MUCH.
WHEN SOMEONE IN THIS HIGH PRO
FILE LIKE ANTHONY AND KATE
DIES BY THEIR HANDS, IT SENDS
A RIPPLE EFFECT AROUND THE
WORLD OF IMMEASURABLE PAIN.
WHEN WE ALLOW THAT TO DAMAGE
THE CHILDREN WE HAVE A
PROBLEM.
I'M SO SORRY TO THEIR FAMILY
AND FRIENDS.
CHRIS PERNELL, CHESTER
BENNINGHAM FAMILY AND FRIEND.
WE LOVED THEM AND WE LOVE THE
WORK THEY DID.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SO CLOSELY
TIED TO THE WORK THEY DID AND
HOW THE WORK AFFECTED US IT
BECOMES PERSONAL.
AT LEAST EMOTIONALLY IT DOES.
ALL THE PEOPLE WATCHING NOW
WHO ARE IN CRISIS AND IN THAT
PAIN AND ARE SUICIDAL, THERE
ARE MILLIONS OF YOU AROUND THE
WORLD.
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
CONTACT THE CRISIS TECH LINE.
TEXT C.N.Q.R. TO 741741.
RIGHT NOW IF YOU ARE IN
CRISIS.
THEY WILL BE WITH YOU IN
SECONDS TO MINUTES.
CNQR TO 741741.
THAT IS IMPORTANT.
IT STANDS FOR CONQUER.
CONQUER YOUR PAIN.
YOU CAN DEFEAT THE PAIN.
YOU THE LIVE WITH THE PAIN AND
THRIVE TODAY.
YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE YOUR
VALUE.
HOW MUCH YOU MATTER TO PEOPLE
AROUND YOU AND HOW MUCH YOU
SHOULD MATTER TO YOU AND YOUR
LIFE MEANS SOMETHING.
IT'S NOT TO EVER MEANT TO DIE
BY SUICIDE.
YOU ARE MEANT TO LIVE THE
LIFE, FIGHT THE PAIN AND
THRIVE AND GIVE BACK TO THIS
WORLD SOMEHOW.
>> Martha: KEVIN, THANK YOU
SO MUCH.
I BELIEVE YOU WERE SPARED TO
BE ABLE TO SPREAD THIS
MESSAGE.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE SAVING
LIVES WHEN PEOPLE LISTEN TO
WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
TONIGHT.
YOUR THOUGHTS DO NOT DEFINE
YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Martha: YOU'RE SO
WELCOME, KEVIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AS HE MENTIONED IF YOU OR A
LOVED ONE NEED EMOTIONAL
SUPPORT CALL 1-800-273-TALK.
FOR FREE, CONFIDENTIAL HELP.
24 HOURS A DAY.