Remembering Tyra Spaulding: A Call to Support Mental Health

Trigger warning: This post discusses mental health struggles, depression, and suicide. If you’re struggling, please know it’s okay to reach out for help

After taking a long break from posting, I can’t even begin to tell you how many unfinished drafts I have hidden away on my laptop that I could never quite find the right words to finish. That in tandem with getting so caught up in SEO strategies, word counts, Pinterest growth, and trying to reach more people. Somewhere along the way… I lost the joy of simply writing. I’m ashamed to admit but I lost the passion of sharing the gospel with my testimonies and sharing stories of hope and redemption.

But this week… something happened that shook me to my core. Even though I didn’t know this person, their story touched my heart and affected my spirit in a way I cannot describe. It’s a story unlike any I’ve ever shared before, and I struggled with where to even begin. But I felt, deep in my spirit, that it was important to share.

I also want to be sensitive, to honor the memory of this person, and to respect their family, friends, and loved ones. I had a moment of doubt and asked myself if this was truly my story to tell, and after much reflection, I realized that while it’s not my story to claim, it is my responsibility to use it to shine a light on something that matters so deeply: mental health awareness, and compassion for those quietly struggling and some struggling out loud but the signs are not noticed. 

In late September came  news came of a young woman in Jamaica, Tyra Spaulding, a former Miss Universe Jamaica contestant, whose life ended far too soon. 

Tyra was only 26, full of dreams, and potential. She had courageously shared her struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts on her YouTube channel, which had nine videos at the time of her passing. On the outside, Tyra was beautiful, she was a model and clearly educated having attending the University of the West Indies which is one of the best universities in Caribbean, my alma mater. By society’s standards, she was doing well. But on the inside, she was fighting battles that few could see.

In many of her videos, she spoke honestly about feeling like her life had no meaning. She shared how she turned to church, found God, and even got baptized the backslide (drifted away from God). She stated that she struggled deeply with comparing herself to others which only made her feel even worse. She talked about the fear of aging, and no longer being beautiful by society standard. The worry of not being able to care for herself on her current salary, and how all of it felt overwhelming. Every day was a tug-of-war between wanting to live and wanting to die.

When I watched her videos, I couldn’t help but ask myself: how were the signs missed? But the truth is, in Jamaica, mental health is still something many don’t take seriously. If you tell someone you’re struggling, you often hear things like, “You have a roof over your head and food on your table… what could you possibly be sad about?” or “You know how many people would love to be in your shoes?” As if those words alone could fix the pain inside.

She spoke in detail about having suicidal thoughts. She admitted that they were her own thoughts, she didn’t want to be having them. And she even questioned where they were coming from. It was in that moment that I started to think more deeply about depression and suicidal thoughts. When she said she was fighting for her life, it made me realize that this goes far beyond just “thinking positive” or “being strong.” Sometimes it’s deeper, connected to chemical imbalances and things happening within the brain that a person can’t simply control. It’s almost like having a virus inside of you that keeps spreading, you want to feel better, you want to fight, but it’s lodged so deep that it starts eating away at you from the inside. And even when you’re trying your hardest to hold on, sometimes the pain just feels stronger than your will to fight.

She heartbreakingly stated that dying would be easier than having to deal with the constant ups and down of life. You could tell through her words that she was fighting hard for her life and trying to hold on.

Tyra sadly took her life at the end of September 2025.

When news of her passing broke, her videos began spreading across the island. Thousands of people visited her YouTube channel, uncovering the heavy burden she had been quietly carrying. To many, she had seemed like just a beautiful young woman with a bright future, but her story revealed something far deeper. In one of her videos, she even spoke grimly about how people might only pay attention when she was gone… and sadly, that came true, as her channel gained thousands of followers after her passing.

Her passing is a heartbreaking reminder that mental health struggles don’t always show on the outside and that even those who inspire others can be silently fighting to survive. Also you can see someone who you think has it all but you don’t know the demons they are facing. You can wish to have their life but you don’t know what it comes with. Everyone is fighting their own silent journey and we can never fully know the battles they carry.

I want to be clear: this isn’t to sensationalize her story. Tyra’s life, her dreams, and her pain deserve respect. But her story needs to be told because it opens the door for compassion, understanding, the demons of comparison and real conversations about mental health, especially among young people in Jamaica and across the world.

By sharing this, I hope to honor Tyra’s memory and remind anyone reading this: it’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to speak up when life feels too heavy. And if you ever feel like giving up, please remember, your life still has purpose, even when it doesn’t feel that way. You are not alone.

I also want to encourage all of us to be more aware. I want us to truly listen and to pay attention, and to care a little deeper. Sometimes the signs are there, but we overlook them or assume the person is just “having a moment or has everything going for them to be sad or depressed. If we can be more mindful and quick to act, maybe next time we can help someone and prevent a tragedy like this. 

Rest in eternal Peace Tyra Spaulding. A beautiful soul gone too soon.

If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, please know that help is available. In Jamaica, you can call the Lifeline Crisis Centre at 876-926-READ (7323). In the U.S., you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you’re elsewhere, search for a local suicide or mental health helpline. Please remember that reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness.