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Mental health advocate and Project Semicolon founder Amy Bleuel has died, aged 31.
At this stage there are no reports as to the cause of her death.
Wisconsin-born Bleuel started Project Semicolon – a non-profit organisation that helps those struggling with depression, addiction self-harm and suicide – in 2013, after losing her father to suicide.
The movement encourages those suffering from mental illness or the effects of losing a friend or loved one to suicide to draw or tattoo a semicolon on to their bodies as a symbol of hope and solidarity.
Bleuel suffered with mental health illness for 20 years and after overcoming some of her issues, shared her story to those who might also be struggling.
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“Despite wounds of a dark past I was able to rise from the ashes, proving the best is yet to come,” she wrote on the Project Semicolon website.
“When my life was filled with the pain of rejection, bullying, suicide, self-injury, addiction, abuse and even rape, I kept on fighting.
“I didn’t have a lot of people in my corner, but the ones I did have kept me going. In my 20 years of personally struggling with mental health I experienced many stigmas associated with it.
“Through the pain came inspiration and a deeper love for others. Please remember there is hope for a better tomorrow.”
The mental health advocate had semicolon tattoos on her left arm (for her father), the back of her right leg (for her best friend) and one on her left arm (for herself).
“The semicolon was chosen because in literature a semicolon is used when an author chooses not to end a sentence,” she said in an interview with People.
“You are the author and the sentence is your life. You are choosing to continue.”
News of Bleuel’s death has been met with an outpouring of sadness, with many taking to social media to express their condolences.
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