A Story of Survival

Former Lion Eric Hipple to speak at the Dogwood

By Carol Mills, Executive Director, Newaygo County Mental Health

When I watch professional athletes, I sometimes wonder what their lives are like.   Do they have the same problems and challenges we face in our daily lives? Do they do their own grocery shopping?   Do they use the quick change oil places like I do? Do they rake their leaves, clean their gutters and pick up sticks in their yards?

What about their families?   Do they have children? Do they have family members in the hospital or nursing homes?   What about illness?

I am a Detroit Lions fan, for better or worse.  Those that share this feeling know that this choice brings much heartache and pain, and every once in a while, happiness.    I used to watch Eric Hipple play as the quarterback for the Detroit Lions and rejoiced when he helped navigate the Lions to the playoffs in 1982.  I never thought about what his life was like. It never occurred to me that professional athletes experience the same joy and sorrows that we do.

Eric Hipple has agreed to share his story with Newaygo County Wednesday, October 23, 2019.   It is a story of survival of many challenges that he has faced in the years since his retirement.   They are challenges that all of us pray to never know – suicide, mental illness, depression and the struggle to survive the problems life throws at us.  
 
These challenges are, for many, a part of their daily life.   These stories are ones that affect every family at some point in their lives.  This is Eric’s story of his personal journey of survival, resilience, and how he now thrives in his life. 
  
Please come and join us as Eric shares his personal journey.  He will be speaking on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at The Black Box in the Dogwood Center in Fremont.  This event is sponsored by Families Against Narcotics, and is a free event. No reservations are necessary.

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