The Connection with Jay Miralles

She found her brother clinging on to life, prayed, and chose hope over fear! Part 2 of 3

• Jay Miralles • Season 4 • Episode 44

Share episode

"Text now! I'll Respond"

We sit with Makenzie, a 15-year-old sister who helped save her brother after a suicide attempt, and trace how faith, therapy, and practical habits rebuilt trust and hope. Now 15, she sits down with us to share what happened before and after that moment—how small warning signs added up, why she kept checking on her brother even when he didn’t answer, and what it took to rebuild connection, faith, and daily life after a suicide attempt.

We talk through the parts people often skip: the burden friends and siblings carry when someone posts about self-harm, the shock of finding a loved one, and the surreal mix of panic and practicality it takes to call 911, start CPR, and let responders in. Makenzie’s clarity cuts through noise—she questions grim predictions, honors good medical care, and explains how stubborn hope, prayer, and presence can coexist with therapy, structure, and time. She also shares the habits that steadied her: working as a swim instructor, saving aggressively, investing in a Roth IRA and index funds, and imposing her own screen-time limits to fight the comparison trap.

From music choices that protect mental health to ditching social feeds that fuel “brain rot,” Makenzie offers a blueprint for teens and parents who want peace without hiding from reality. Her sibling bond with Will is more honest now—closer, faith-filled, and transparent about fear. She names trauma without letting it define her, and invites anyone struggling to reach for help: hotlines, pastors, and therapists who can hold the weight.

If this story resonates, share it with someone who needs hope today. Subscribe for more conversations that bring courage into the open, and leave a review with the moment that stayed with you most.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Connection Podcast with Jay Miralles. Please subscribe and share!

WEBSITE
https://www.letsgo321.com

GET IN TOUCH
https://flow.page/jaymiralles

BUY MY BOOK
https://books.by/jaymiralles

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE
https://www.youtube.com/@jaymirallestheconnection

Announcer:

Welcome to the connector. Major host, authority coach, Air Force veteran, Jay Morales.

Jay:

So, McKenzie, you are Will's sister. And um, how old are you?

Makenzie:

I am 15.

Jay:

15 years old, and what grade are you in?

Makenzie:

I'm a sophomore at Millard West.

Jay:

Okay, Millard West. Are you also homeschooling as well?

Makenzie:

Or yeah, so I'm homeschooled, but I also do one class so that way I can still do sports and everything.

Jay:

Okay. What sports are you involved in?

Makenzie:

I'm doing just bowling this year. I used to do track, but it wasn't very fun for me anymore.

Jay:

Just to run in a straight line or around a circle. No, okay. So bowling. Uh your dad is an avid bowler.

Makenzie:

Oh, yeah.

Jay:

I mean, he's he scored quite a few perfect games. How many?

Makenzie:

I all I know is a lot. He's got some rings too.

Jay:

I know. I've seen it. I remember watching a Facebook clip. I was like, how big of a deal can this be, right? And I just remember someone recording it, and everyone around was like, yeah. And you know, your dad'll have his time, but this is about you. Um, so let's um let's let's let's bring this up to speed. Um what keeps you busy these days? Like, okay, outside of school, outside of bowling, like what does McKinsey do?

Makenzie:

Well, I do like to bake, I like to cook stuff, I find it really fun, and I also do work outside of school.

Jay:

So where do you work?

Makenzie:

Goldfish swim school. I'm a swim instructor and a deck supervisor.

Jay:

So that's pretty cool. And you're 15. Yeah, right?

Makenzie:

Yeah, I'm saving up my money.

Jay:

Yeah, so what are you saving up for? What are you gonna use it for? Are you good with your money?

Makenzie:

Yeah, so I'm investing my money, investing like pretty much almost all of my savings, but I'm also having an emergency fund that way.

Jay:

Okay, when you say investing, like talk to me about that. What do you is it on an app where you put money into the stock market?

Makenzie:

Yeah, so I'm using Fidelity. I'm like investing into like VLO, all of that, and then Roth RA and everything is that way I'm set up.

Jay:

My I just got uh I just got goosebumps. That's that's crazy to me. Um, it's not crazy. It's I'm very impressed because I never knew about this about you. You know, if if people could um if people could realize that if they started at your age, because we read about this all the time. Well, if you would have started at 20 years old and this is you're 15 and you're starting this, right? What's your guilty uh spend? What are some of the things you spend money? What's your guilty pleasures that you spend money on?

Makenzie:

I really I try not to spend money. So I'm like giving myself a hundred bucks per month because I am like if I spend money, I spend like a lot of money. Okay. So I like to door dash a lot, but I recently I've really tried to cut back on it. Like I give myself like once a month I can DoorDash. Oh, and it's like 20 bucks, that's not that bad. But I I buy like one thing maybe every six months. That's like $200.

Jay:

Okay, so so you have some kind of spending discipline?

Makenzie:

Yeah.

Jay:

That's so cool. Maybe you could give people a class on that. That's a whole nother podcast in itself. Um, you know, this the this podcast is about your family, the healing journey, um, and about your brother Will.

Makenzie:

Yeah.

Jay:

Um, can you share what Will was like growing up? Like, what was the bond like before the incident? Like, truly, and I don't wanna I don't want the the what is it called? The rainbows and butterflies. I I want to know what what's real.

Makenzie:

So truly he was he was pretty humorous. He was very he was the wise guy, he liked to be the funny guy and everything, but like when we got home, he would be very like judgmental, very sometimes angry, which was very odd because usually he wasn't like that.

Jay:

Like the recent years what age was he starting to be angry like the age like when he took his like yeah, when he yeah, when he attempted when it was it was getting really bad.

Makenzie:

Okay, and but before that, he was really, really good. He was a wise guy, he was super funny, but um those recent years were like getting really bad.

Jay:

He was you guys bicker a lot. Oh yeah, oh yeah, we're still yeah, like siblings, right? Um, what do you admire most about him even before the incident?

Makenzie:

He's he's very, very strong, he's very ambitious. He like if he wants to do something, he'll do it. He won't he's very stubborn, he won't listen to anyone. Like if he wants to do something, he does it.

Jay:

He'll get it done. That's I is that could that be good and bad?

Makenzie:

Yeah, but because like sometimes, like, I don't know, like when he wants to do something that's not good for him, right? Like, for instance, vaping or doing drugs and stuff, that's not good for you. And he doesn't listen to anyone else. Yeah. And but we're trying to teach him, hey, you gotta sometimes listen to other people.

Jay:

Yeah, for sure, for sure. Um what are some of the things that you remember the year from to you know, when you heard him describe Halloween, that whole journey of a year of of just pain? What are some of the things that stood out to your mind and that that you know that validated maybe why he was in such a depressed state? What's some of the things that you saw that he was depressed about?

Makenzie:

Yeah, so it was it was really hard to see him like that, like just because usually he wasn't like that. But um when we heard that he was thinking about taking his life, because he had multiple, like he's talked to other people, like on Snapchat, like before the incident, he was talking to people saying, Hey, I'm gonna take my life. Like that's what he's like. He was telling people that's what he would tell people, and they'd be like, Will, are you are you okay? And he wouldn't text back, and then he would send pictures of these things, and then people would be like, Hey, are you good? So these people would be constantly worried about him. And I also think that that kind of brought a burden onto those people as well, okay, just because they always have to worry about him just saying all of that, but it also brought a burden onto us, but not like like a burden of the world. I know what you're doing.

Jay:

Like it it was a heavy weight for you to carry.

Makenzie:

Yes, exactly.

Jay:

Emotional, and and this is not just about will. You're talking to someone who's listening right now, yeah, and you're saying, wait a minute, if I say McKenzie, I I want to hurt myself, I'm t I'm putting my emotions on you, and that's weighing heavy on you. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, and and then you don't hear from me for two days.

Makenzie:

And then you just constantly think about it, and you're like, hey, is that person okay?

Jay:

Right, right.

Makenzie:

And you don't know because they don't talk to you.

Jay:

Yeah. I I think that's um that's something that we don't really think about, right? We always think about the incident, we never think about things that lead up to it, we never think of the causes, we never think you never see the signs. Yeah, so so let's talk about that. Yes, you heard your brother talk about this, but did you ever think that he would?

Makenzie:

I honestly didn't. Like it was such a shock. Like, like when I found him, I was like, what? Yeah, like it was just like it was mind-blowing. Like it was just like after it was like like every single night, I would just relive it and be like, Well, why would he do that?

Jay:

Let's go back first before that moment. Um, you know, even the few months before, what were what was his mood like? And the reason I want you to explain this is because maybe someone else can identify or see, like you said, you were shocked. You you didn't think this would happen, right? Like this is my brother. It doesn't happen, it happens in the movies, it happens to other people. But what are some of the things you saw within the last 60 days?

Makenzie:

Well, he was very isolated, he started shutting people out. We tried to get we got him into therapy and then we forgot about it for a while, but he was very isolated. He only wanted to talk to his therapist, he wouldn't talk to anyone else like about anything. He was not open at all to anyone, which was very sad because, like, as a sister, I want to know what he's going through. I want to help him. Yeah, but I couldn't because he wouldn't talk to me, he wouldn't talk to anyone.

Jay:

How often did you try to say hey? I mean, take me back to some of those conversations, like maybe he was in his room by himself. Did you ever just knock on the door or did you ever just say hey?

Makenzie:

Yeah, I would I would constantly check up on him because I was worried about him because just wondering how he's doing and everything. Like I would just be like, hey, well, how are you doing today? And he would just one-word answers and everything.

Jay:

And you were 14 at the time, 13?

Makenzie:

Uh I was in seventh grade.

Jay:

Seventh grade, okay. So as a seventh grader, you're thinking about this, you're living this, you're, you know, I mean, I don't think any eva I don't think any adult is equipped to to carry the burden or to carry the weight, right? So what are some of the things you were doing or going through as you were experiencing this? Like, did you seek help yourself? Did you talk to people about how you're worried about your brother? Like, how did that go?

Makenzie:

I really didn't talk to anyone except my parents. Like, we would just chat and be like, hey, what's going on with Will? Yeah. And no one would really like they didn't know because they he wouldn't really talk to them, which was very hard for them as well. Um, but I would just kind of just seek validation with them and try to understand what was going on because I was also a little bit younger, but also having to mature a little bit more in that situation.

Jay:

As seven years at seventh grade, though, to try to mature yourself to understand that you gotta understand people go to school for years and years and years to be doctors and counselors, and and they that's just a practice in itself for for you to recognize that gosh, I've got to mature. I mean, I don't think that's a child's responsibility, right? I don't think it's anyone's single person's responsibility, but you know, now now you alluded to it before. Do you remember the day like were you where were you coming from? Were you coming home from school?

Makenzie:

Like so I was actually like I was playing hickey that day.

Jay:

You're okay, so you were just you just didn't feel well enough to go to school.

Makenzie:

Yeah, I didn't feel well enough. Okay, yeah, but um, it was me and my grandma, we were both at home, okay, and um we were just sitting at home, and Will had a uh haircut appointment. My dad was like, Oh my god, I forgot he had a haircut cut appointment. I was like, oh dude. So I went looking for Will. And I thought he I thought he ran away. I'm gonna be completely honest. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was I went outside and I was like, Will, where are you, bro?

Jay:

So you were looking for him, okay?

Makenzie:

Yeah, and then my I found him, and then my grandma came in there, and yeah, that's kind of do you remember like you said you called 911?

Jay:

Yes, so you were the one that called.

Makenzie:

So my grandma actually called 911.

Jay:

Oh, your grandma called it.

Makenzie:

Yeah, we were kind of doing it together, I guess.

Jay:

Okay, yeah, yeah.

Makenzie:

Because she said her Utah address, and I was like, nope, no, we're actually in Omaha.

Jay:

Oh, okay. Yeah, so she gave her Utah address because she again in the moment everyone's panicking.

Makenzie:

Yeah, and it was it was really hard like to just not run away. Like your mind just it's it's just like like what you just want to hide, run away, yeah, but you just can't because that's your brother.

Jay:

Was your do you remember just like being in shock? And then we'll explain that you let the firefighters in, or grandma, and you let the firefighters in. Well, what was that like? So we started doing CPR and everything, and then wait, you guys did CPR before the firefighters got there?

Makenzie:

Yeah, because that's what 911 told us to do. They were like, hey, you need to start CPR because he was already gone. And so we like, I don't know, I think we took his shirt off and then we started CPR, and then I had to go downstairs because they were gonna like bust our door down.

Jay:

I was like, Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Makenzie:

My mom would be pissed at me.

Jay:

You were thinking about the door better be unlocked so that they don't break it down. Okay, yeah. So, and and again, not making left, but it it it is it is it is remarkable at the things that we think about when we're under pressure, right? So you open the door, what happens next?

Makenzie:

Then they run in. There's like like two of them come in, and then like three or four of them come back in. They they're like, Hey, where are your stairs? Like, we need to get up there. And so I'm like, Yeah, they're over there, like please hurry. Yeah, so they run up there, and then my grandma, she's got she has a bad hit, or she had a bad hit, and she was on her knees and everything. She was like, I don't even know how I got up. Like, she was in her she's in her 70s, and she was like, I don't even know how I got up. And I was like, That's God, like he like he's telling you, like he's giving you the strength. I love it. And right after they the firefighters went in, they started doing all their stuff, started doing the CPR, the breathing, and everything. We just I was like, hey, no, no, we have to pray. So we prayed, and then they got a pulse.

Jay:

Oh my gosh. So they were working with Will in his room.

Makenzie:

Yeah.

Jay:

And you were praying, are you okay right now?

Makenzie:

Yeah.

Jay:

Okay. I just want to make sure you're okay. And you said we have to start praying.

Makenzie:

Yeah, because I was like, there's no other way that like God can only say them right now.

Jay:

And and you saw them working on him. What do you before you prayed? Like, were you watching? Were you so?

Makenzie:

We had walked out of the room, so we were in our hallway, and I was like, like, my grandma was coming, she was like speedwalking over, and I was like, hey, we just we just have to pray. Yeah. And we she prayed for us, and then we said amen, and then we walked downstairs and they're like, Oh, we got a pulse. And I was like, Oh, thank God.

Jay:

Yeah, yeah.

Makenzie:

It was crazy.

Jay:

Do you think did you think for one moment that might that might be the last moment?

Makenzie:

Oh yeah. Like when I was holding him up, it was I was like, my brother could be dead, like he could be gone. And I don't like now, I'm like, what would I do? I would be an only child, no brother. Yeah, it'd be absolutely terrible.

Jay:

Do you love your brother a lot?

Makenzie:

Oh yeah.

Jay:

Yeah.

Makenzie:

Even though sometimes he makes me mad, he's he's really sweet and he loves me.

Jay:

I know he does. I know he does. And and you know, when you guys grow up and you you grow older in life, you'll understand it even more. Um what emotions were going were you going through as he's recovering? Like, because he goes, he went to the emergency room, right? And then he was in the hospital. Like, what did that what did that do to you at that time?

Makenzie:

So I was still going to school, I was still in seventh grade, and half my teachers like they knew what happened because like we knew the vice principal and he told them, so they kind of exempted me from a lot of stuff. Yeah. Because I was like, like my grades were dropping, like okay, really bad. But like I didn't have like depression or anything, right? I was just sad because he was in the hospital and like I just wanted to see him all the time. Yeah, so I would just skip school. I'd be like, Hey mom, can you pick me up? And she would just let me skip school, go to the hospital so I can just see him. Yeah, and that's I feel like that's helped our relationship a lot better because just seeing him in that state. Now I know like he showed his true colors and that I can just see him.

Jay:

Um, what about some of the news you heard, right? Like, oh, he may not like what are some of the detrimental things you heard? Like he may not talk the same, walk the same. Did you hear any of that from the doctors?

Makenzie:

Like all the nurses, all the doctors are like, he's he's not he's probably not gonna walk. And I was like, Well, you don't know that yet. Because that's when he wasn't even out of like the um breathing tube. Yeah, and they're like, Yeah, he's probably never gonna eat. And I was like, Well, you don't know that yet. Like, you don't you don't know how he is, yeah, like you don't know what he can do.

Jay:

Yeah, and like it was like I could hear the fight in you right now.

Makenzie:

It's like you don't know, yeah. You don't know. Well, my mom yelled at those doctors, she yelled at them because they were like, Yeah, we're not gonna take the breathing to about today. And she was like, You told us that he was gonna be out of it today. Yeah, so you better take it out.

Jay:

Oh my gosh, I could picture that too.

Makenzie:

No, when you you you have to talk to her about that because she was mad.

Jay:

Oh gosh, yeah. I I could see your mom. Yeah, you know, um you saw your parents go through this too, right? Um, or some of the things you were thinking when you saw your parents going through this?

Makenzie:

It was it was really hard because like just thinking about what I felt because that's my brother, just thinking about like my mom, like that's her son. Yeah, and that's my dad's son. Like just thinking about that, hey, you almost lost your son. Yeah, like how are you supposed to feel with that? Yeah, that's so much heavy emotions that's on you, and then you just have to think about like, hey, I didn't I didn't see the signs enough.

Jay:

How did this moment change you as a sister? Did it change you as a sister, do you think?

Makenzie:

Or yes and no. Okay, because like I feel like our relationship has gotten better. Okay, like for sure. But like how, like how like just like us bonding, like I feel like we're better friends than than we ever have been. Because I feel like we can bond a little bit more that he's set back a little bit more in his maturity, yeah. But that means that we can be a little bit better together.

Jay:

Are you guys open with each other?

Makenzie:

Oh, yeah.

Jay:

Do you think there's conversations you guys have that you guys don't have with your parents or anybody else? Yeah. There is okay, but we won't tell them.

Makenzie:

Let's not tell them that.

Jay:

Let's not let's not share that with them. Um, but truly, I want to know if you can reach your brother now. Do you think you can reach him? You know, like connect with him more?

Makenzie:

Yeah, he tells me a lot of stuff. Like, he tells me when he's having a hard time, he tells me like like he he's the one that was telling, or not telling me, but he was like reaching out to me to get closer with God.

Jay:

Because I I was you weren't, so your faith was not as strong as this.

Makenzie:

It was like I didn't because I didn't s I when I was in like eighth grade, I didn't see the signs, even though he saved my brother. I didn't I still didn't believe him. Understood. Yeah, but it was just really hard. Like now I I pray every night, I read my Bible, I do all of that. I I love I love God. Yes, yeah, I love that. But I just did not have very strong faith that when he did, like right now, he's super strong in faith, which is amazing. Like, I I really love that.

Jay:

Yeah, you you admire that about your brother, you know. Um you guys didn't share that before though, and and and now you do. I mean, I think I think it's incredible. How has your faith helped you mature as a person?

Makenzie:

Well, just just trusting in God, just telling him, hey, if this is something that needs to happen, then you'll make it happen. And if it doesn't happen, then that's okay. Like a lot of people misunderstand like God not letting something happen with him just not wanting you to do something, right? That's his judgment and his maturity telling you that hey, you don't need this in your life. Yeah, and a lot of people just don't understand that. Yeah, like in Jeremiah 3:3, verse chapter 33, verse 3, it says, Call to me, and I will answer you, and I will like just give you my wisdom. Because he will. If you call to him, he will give you your your his downright wisdom.

Jay:

It's really sorry.

Makenzie:

It's okay.

Jay:

Um, how do you think your families come together?

Makenzie:

Well, just in faith alone, we used to not really go to church at all. Like, we didn't really get go to church on Sundays.

Jay:

We went like maybe Easter and Christmas.

Makenzie:

Yeah, like once a twice, three times a year.

Jay:

Yeah.

Makenzie:

Um, but we've really developed in our faith. Like recently, like the past like month, I've we've all really stopped listening to bad music. Like we've I like I only listen to Christian music. That's it. Because I don't I don't believe that putting bad music into my brain helps my Christianity.

Jay:

Okay, and that was a choice you made after being taught. Yeah, what made you all of a sudden say, All right, all right, uh, Apple Tunes or whatever.

Makenzie:

We actually we did switch because I I feel like I was being guilted into listening to the listening to those bad songs just because all the kids listen to rap songs. But it's it's really there are so many Christian songs that are like rap songs that are just as good. And they're they put your faith better in Jesus, okay, and they really like give you more joy than the other sad suicidal songs do.

Jay:

Yeah, okay. What about um talk to me about social media in your age, right? Like how do you use it now? Like, what's your utilization like and what's your thoughts about it? Your true thoughts. Like, I don't wanna I don't want anything altruistic or holy art now, but tell me, um 15? Yeah, what's a 15-year-old do now with with social media? Are you on it a lot?

Makenzie:

So I I only have Instagram because my mom said I could get TikTok, but I I really choose to only have Instagram just not TikTok. Tell me why it's just like I'm I've had it before, and I just really think that it's only for the videos, and I don't I feel like it rot to rain a little bit more than it should.

Jay:

Brain rot. Everyone talks about that.

Makenzie:

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so I um I have screen time on myself so that way I'm not on it as much, so that way I can really live life to its fullest. Yeah, that way I'm not spending 18 years of my whole life on a phone. Because that's ultimately what everyone does. You spend four hours on your phone every day, you're spending 18 years on your phone.

Jay:

Wow, four hours a day is 18 years living on a phone in your average of lifetime, is what you're saying.

Makenzie:

Yeah.

Jay:

I never thought about it like that.

Makenzie:

Yeah, man.

Jay:

Mackenzie, you're way ahead of your way ahead of your time. Um what did you what do you think when you see what are the dangers that kids face with the social media and depression and ideation and and things that they in comparison, like does that aid to people doing bad things or not?

Makenzie:

Absolutely, because it's just the trends, yeah, the people thinking that hey, this is how I need to be, this is reality, like these models that are very skinny, they're very pretty. You don't need to be like that. Okay, like you just are your perfect self and you just need to be kind. Like, you don't have to put yourself onto these other people that are not realistic. And watching like watching videos that aren't realistic, like I've been watching a lot of like videos on just making money and everything, and they're they're not they're not very realistic, okay. Like drop shipping, not very realistic. I was like, okay, um, so I don't watch those videos anymore.

Jay:

You even know what drop shipping is, right? Because there'll be 35-year-olds that are watching this that are not even um that are not even realistic per se. And um what about the comparison trap at 15 years old? Like, oh gosh, Molly has that or Shelly does that. Do you do that now?

Makenzie:

Or it's very hard not to, okay, just because you look at all these people that are very rich, and it's like, I wish I had that, but ultimately, like, you have what you need. Like in your life, you have what you need. Like, you have food, you have everything, but like you just need the people around you, and you just need friendships, relationships, God, faith. That's all you need in your life. You don't need a humongous house, you don't need Lamborghinis.

Jay:

Hey, hey, don't be mad. No, I don't have one, but I mean, if I get one, don't be mad at me. No, yeah. No, I'm kidding. But I I get I get what you're saying, and it's very mature for a 15-year-old to think of like this. What do you what do you say? Because even even at I'm 55. Yeah. And and and I'm like, come on, Mackenzie, this is too good. Do you really believe in Jesus that much? I'm not saying that, but I'm saying people probably think that, you know? Yeah. How does that make you feel and how do you react?

Makenzie:

So when I think of like people just like hating on people's Christianity, like I un I understand you don't have that relationship with God, but other people do, okay, and they strongly believe in God. And yes, there's atheists, and I'm not hating on them or anything. Neither am I. Yeah, right. But I believe that everyone can turn their life to Christ at some point. Like you, even when you're seven years old and you're in hospice, you can turn your life to Christ and still go to heaven.

Jay:

Yeah, that's pretty powerful to say, right? You believe that it sounds like I mean you're you're convicted, right? Like you just your conviction.

Makenzie:

I got baptized early, I think I was like 10 or 11, I got baptized. Okay. Yeah.

Jay:

I mean, I think baptism is one thing, right? At 10 or 11, you know, making the decision, you know, even at the 10-11, but practicing every day is probably just as important. Yeah. Right. Um, how how has faith played a part in the family healing?

Makenzie:

It's it's really played like uh like in recent years, it's played a bigger part just because we're, I guess, a lot kinder to each other. Like there would be times like where we'd be really stressed out. Of course, yeah, but we're a lot more kinder to each other, we're really trying to be a lot more faith-based and trying to just be kinder to other those other people and just thinking about hey, what would God do? What would Jesus do?

Jay:

Yeah, it's not it's not to say that you're perfect, exactly. It's to say that you're practicing your faith, right?

Makenzie:

Yeah.

Jay:

What would you say to kids? So you have friends, friends will be watching this, Mackenzie. I mean, they'll be like, hey, you're on a podcast, cool, they're gonna hear this part of the message, they're gonna hear your faith. They're they they don't have a relationship. How would you invite someone like that to have a relationship with God?

Makenzie:

I would just I would pray every night just for forgiveness for God that I would I would recommend that you put your life to Christ, that you ask him to forgive you of your sins, and he will, and he will show you the way that you need to go.

Jay:

Do you really believe that your faith is that powerful that it can help guide you out of the situation that you all were in? Do you think that was a big critical?

Makenzie:

Absolutely. Like, I I think that he brought us in there to make us stronger in our faith because we we prayed right after it happened and he made it happen.

Jay:

Yeah. What I'm sure there's some people might say, Well, why did God let that even happen? Do what would you say to that?

Makenzie:

You know, there w God didn't let it happen.

Jay:

Okay.

Makenzie:

It was Satan putting himself into my brother's mind. But he stopped it because that's his ultimate power. He has that power to stop Satan.

Jay:

That's pretty powerful, Mackenzie. I'm serious. Like, you know, I'm sitting here, I'm 55, and I'm listening to you, and I'm it's not just the words you're saying. I I I see your posture, your your conviction, your you're talking about it as if like we just walked five miles this morning. Like, you know what I mean? Like how you would describe it, right? I'd be like, hey, how'd you feel on the five mile? You'd be like, This is how I felt. You know, I feel like it's a natural belief, you know, with within you that that just I see it shine through. How's your relationship with your brother grown since then? Like, truly, you know, I know it's it's better, I know it's faith-based. You're having conversations with each other. You know, has it are you scared for him now? Are you are you nervous for him? Are you encouraged by him? Like, how do you feel about that now?

Makenzie:

So there are like points when I do get scared, like that he could take his life again because when his girlfriend broke up with him, I was like, Is he gonna do it again? Okay, that's what ultimately scared me a lot because that was just the trauma bringing back in of what happened. Yeah, and that that really like scared me and brought a little bit of peace PTSD from that.

Jay:

But yeah, that's fair. I mean, the traumatic stress you went through. What help did you get for yourself? I think that's important, or did you seek help because you witnessed this firsthand, and that's not normal to to witness. What did you do outside you know, your faith, all those things? But what else did you do to did you see a counts birth?

Makenzie:

Yeah, so I do therapy every other week, so I talk to her a lot about it.

Jay:

You still do that now, okay.

Makenzie:

Yeah, just because I how do you feel about therapy?

Jay:

Honestly.

Makenzie:

Oh, I love it. I think a lot of people should get into it if they have a lot of trauma, just because you can unload all of it, like you. Your brain pushes all your trauma back so far you don't even remember it. Remember it. But there are things like tools that can help you not erase it from your mind, but go to the point where you don't really have to think about it a lot.

Jay:

What if what if you hear whispers in the room that there's Mackenzie? There's the one that's her brother. That oh, that's happened. Yeah, okay. Tell me.

Makenzie:

Tell me. It it's it's hard to think about. Like people are like, oh my god, her brother. Yeah. But I'm also like, yeah, my brother took his life, but I saved him.

Jay:

I love that. I mean, I love the confidence that comes out from that. You know, it is brave, but more so that I don't feel like I'm talking to a 15-year-old right now, right? I think you've aged to a 29 or 49-year-old person, you know, because of the things that you went through. There are people that experience what you experienced and witness what you witnessed, and they don't want to seek help. What do you say to that person?

Makenzie:

I encourage you to seek help so that way you don't have to deal with it. So that way you can have someone help you through it, and you can ultimately not forget about it, but just explore your word and what you had like experienced.

Jay:

W what about someone who says, Man, I I don't I just don't want to I don't even want to go through the process. I'm I don't want to go to a crazy quack doctor. I don't want to go to a counselor, I'm fine. What what do you just say to that person?

Makenzie:

Everyone's not fine. Like when they say that, a lot of people just aren't, they just are hiding it. And I I know you don't want to speak to someone about your problems, but the therapist doesn't tell anyone. Like, right, right. Yeah, she has a contract, she can't tell anyone about anything. And she or they help you in any way, like they talk about your feelings, they talk about like, oh, what happened? Like, you had anxiety, why do you have anxiety? How can we fix that? And so they're trying to help.

Jay:

Yeah, and you you believe that, and you've been going every other week pretty systematically since then.

Makenzie:

Yeah.

Jay:

Is there a point where you're like, hmm, there's an exit ramp sometime, or do you ever feel like, gosh, when's this gonna be over? Or how do you feel about your sessions specifically and the rhythm of your session?

Makenzie:

So sometimes like they do get boring because I don't have a lot to talk about, but I I like to be able to vent to someone other than my parents because my therapist doesn't have an opinion. Like she really like just thinks about it like systematically. She like just thinks about my feelings about it.

Jay:

Let me ask you um, what's a technique you use to help with the trauma? Because the trauma comes up every now and then. You get um triggered, or you get you live through it again, or something reminds you of it. What do you is there a technique that you use, or how do you deal with it when you know, Sunday afternoon, two o'clock, and do you still have episodes of like you said, it played through your mind a few times or horrible.

Makenzie:

Yeah, it it does like sometimes it sometimes does that, but usually like I don't try to think about it a lot. I just try to like kind of push it out of my mind, but also like just keep it there so that way I can remember and tell people what happened and show them that there is greater good for it. Yeah. Um, but I usually pray about it like at night. I'm like, hey, just don't push it out of my mind, Lord. But I I pray that you don't bring this up. Like I pray that you heal me from this traumatic response that I have. Yeah. Or um when I have anxiety, I try to go to my parents because I have anxiety not frequently, but it it does happen. Yeah. Just because of the trauma and just what I went through. But I try to go to them and they really help me calm me down.

Jay:

Someone's out there, if they say, Hey, I'd like to talk to you respectfully about what happened, then it will help me understand just from my own situation. Can people approach you like that? Are you an approachable person?

Makenzie:

Yeah, I'll talk to anyone. Like I'll I'll listen to your story. I'll if you want my input, I'll give you input. I'll I'll try to help you as best as I can.

Jay:

Um, what gives you hope now when you see Will in his recovery and his journey of healing? You know, talk about his level of maturity, you know. Like, I mean, okay, he's a 17-year-old kid, but you were talking about how he's a little more mature. What are besides that, what are some of the good qualities you see in your brother now?

Makenzie:

Well, there are times, like just because his brain injury kind of set him back a little bit. Yes, okay. I think he's not set back as much as he used to be, but sometimes there are points where he acts like a 15-year-old, which is fine because he's still a boy. Yeah. Okay, okay, that's fair. Yeah. But he's he's very mature, like he really he sometimes knows how to respond in situations that other people really wouldn't know how to respond in, which is amazing. Um, like at work, he loves work, which is I think is so cute. But he he loves to work, he's very passionate about anything that he does. Like bowling, he's he's very passionate about bowling. Like he gets really mad when he doesn't do good. Yeah, but he's really good.

Jay:

You know your parents are gonna watch this over and over and over. Oh yeah. Probably this next part, too. Yeah. And I want you to look into the camera, and I want you to picture your mom and dad um truly listening to you, and and here's what I want you to explain to them. Um, your parents went through a lot, you went through a lot. Say some encouraging words to your parents right now of where you're at in your life and what you've thought of them through this whole process.

Makenzie:

Well, I love you guys very much, you know that. But I I really just want you guys to not think that I'm not doing okay because I am doing amazing. I'm really great in my faith, and I I hope that you guys can put some more faith in God as well. Just pray about me and I'll pray about you guys and everything. But I I love you guys.

Jay:

How much how much do you think your parents played into your support role? Like into supporting you?

Makenzie:

A lot. Like just after the incident, they were always asking me, Hey, are you okay? Because they they know what I went through, and they were just always asking just to make sure that I was okay with all the trauma and everything. Because I was younger, and they just wanted to make sure that I wasn't having any depression or anything like that, because I wouldn't wish that upon anyone.

Jay:

Yeah, yeah. I I mean it's it's a it's too common and it's unspoken about. There's someone right now struggling with mental health in general, right? And that person doesn't know where to get help and doesn't know if they should even seek help. Talk to that person right now about seeking help for mental health.

Makenzie:

So I would dial the hotline number if you really are in a deep dark place right now. If you go to church, I would go talk to your pastors, I would go get a therapist, I would go get trauma therapy if you dealt with something like I had to deal with, because they're there for you, for you. They're there so that way they can help you so you don't feel that way.

Jay:

Final part is to your brother, because he'll walk just over and over to encourage and encouragement, words for your brother, how you feel about him and and just what you're feeling right now, just opening up about all this.

Makenzie:

Well, Will, I I love you very much, and I I really want you to keep going strong with your faith, and I want you to just put all your faith in God. I want you to talk to me more. I want you to just open up a little bit more. But I love you.

Jay:

That's awesome. How do you feel right now?

Makenzie:

Pretty good.

Jay:

Do you? Did you think that this would go this way?

Makenzie:

Yeah.

Jay:

Yeah. Well, I you have a very courageous voice of um compassion. I want you to remember that. Um had to hold my tears back a couple times. Um, I respect and admire uh your courage. You're a different kind of person. You know what I mean? I mean, I think God has put you on this earth to encourage others, to save people, to be a light in this world that is an Instagram trap. You know what I mean? And I pray that you continue to strengthen yourself, to put on his armor, because you're going to have difficult conversations in the future of professing your faith. And you're going to have challenges of people challenging, well, what if this, what if that? And um the ideation of of hurting yourself, not you, of just anyone in general, will always be around. And that will, you know, and I just want you to know, McKenzie, this this interview was probably more for me than it was you. And and I'm I'm grateful that you gave us your perspective, the sister, right? A 15-year-old girl who was 13 or 12 at the time, is that right? I mean to live through all that and be able to stand up and tell a great story. I think your parents and your family is blessed to have you.

Makenzie:

Thank you.

Jay:

All right. Thank you for being on the connection today.

Announcer:

Thanks for tuning in to The Connect. It's been a fantastic journey exploring stories, insights, and inspiration that bridged our lives. Remember, every connection has the power to transform. Please subscribe, rate, and review.