A fateful day in July 2021 will stick with Belmont alumna T. Shardé Curry (‘08) for the rest of her life.
With her phone set to “do not disturb,” the wife and mother received a muted text notification at 6:18 a.m.
A message from her mom read, “Good morning. I love you more than you would ever know. Thank you for loving me. I’m sorry that I failed you.”
Occupied by the usual routine of getting everyone in her household ready for the day, Shardé only briefly glanced at the notification.
I didn’t see that text until 6:58 a.m., by which time she had already taken her own life.”
Soon after learning of her mother’s death, the listening ear of a stranger served as a lifeline for Shardé. “I called every hotline I could find and got connected with a perfect stranger named Paul,” she remembers. “I’ll never forget how patient he was, as I shared with him what had just happened to me a few hours prior.”
Paul’s presence on the other end of the line and sharing the experience of his wife’s suicide gave Shardé the strength needed immediately after learning about the death of her mother.
“His choice to share his own pain had helped heal mine in my weakest moment,” she said. “While sharing my story is never easy, I see God’s love for me everywhere. Despite the pain of losing my mom, I have the privilege of uplifting and encouraging total strangers.”
In September 2022, Shardé participated in Belmont’s first-ever Suicide Prevention & Awareness Week and shared her experience navigating the loss of a family member to suicide for the first time on campus. During the week, Belmont also hosted its first Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk. At the walk, Shardé and Paul met face-to-face for the first time.
Since her mother’s passing, Curry intentionally visits campus each year to share her mom’s story and the importance of mental health, particularly among college students as suicide is the third leading cause of death for people ages 15-24. Speaking on campus is also special because Belmont felt like home to Shardé even before she was a psychology student.
Shardé's Belmont journey begins with her mother, Tonya Moore, who was also a Belmont alumna. As the oldest child of a single parent, Shardé remembers being welcomed in the classroom while her mom attended classes and playing with her siblings in the sound-proof, independent study rooms at the library. The supportive environment and nurturing relationships she experienced as a child contributed to making Belmont feel like home.
“It took her a while to finish her degree because she ended up having three kids,” Shardé said. “But we studied here on campus with her. I have pictures of my mom's graduation, and we're all on the line. I felt like I was like this was my home. So, I didn't want to go [to college] anywhere else.”
Shardé emphasizes the power of kindness when she speaks on campus to students who are finding their home away from home. She uses her friendship with Paul as an illustration, and she shares the impact her mom’s kindness had on so many at Nashville Metro Police Department, where Tonya worked in technical support.
“You never know what a smile, a nod or a simple exchange of words might mean,” Curry said to students in her chapel lecture during Belmont’s 2023 Suicide Prevention & Awareness Week. “You’re act of kindness could be the lifeline someone needs to reconsider ending their life.”
Today, Shardé is a speaker, author and curator who continues to share her story through speaking engagements, workshops and consulting. She is the owner of Manna Enterprises and hosts the podcast, “Faithfully Unscripted.” A chapter of her book, “My Stones,” details her grieving process after the death of her mom.
“My mom was dealing with a lot of mental health struggles that I personally didn’t know anything about,” she said. “It was a very hard and confusing time for [my family]. We took her passing and we decided to do something about it by talking and raising awareness. Because this was her home – and also my home – it just makes sense to come back [to Belmont] and really pour into that cause.”
The lobby in Belmont’s Counseling Center is named in memory of Tonya Moore and a plaque hangs in the lobby that tells her story.
About the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is on a mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide through charitable walks, resources, hotlines and more. AFSP board member Paul Augustyniak is the stranger on the other end of the line who helped Shardé find hope in July 2021 when she connected with him on AFSP’s Healing Conversations hotline. Healing Conversations connects those who have lost a loved one to suicide with trained volunteers who are also survivors of suicide loss. If you or someone you know needs help, visit the AFSP website to learn more.