Trout family promotes suicide awareness

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout and his wife Jessica are stepping up efforts to promote suicide awareness.

The family is working with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the apparel company Tiny Turnip to honor Aaron Cox, the younger brother of Jessica Trout.

Mike Trout revealed in a tweet on Wednesday that the death of his brother-in-law in August of 2018 was due to suicide. Cox was 24 and no cause of death was provided at time.

Tweeted Trout: "We lost Aaron in 2018 to suicide. Over the past years since that tragic day, we've learned that struggles with mental health are far too common... we hope and pray this collaboration touches the lives of even just one precious soul."

The partnership with Tiny Turnip has led to an initiative called "Your game isn't over yet;" with the semicolon being the symbol for suicide prevention. There is an array of shirts, cups and other collectibles with all benefits going to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The design includes a baseball with the stitches in the form of encouraging words and the glove designed in the shape of a semicolon.

"The main focus of our design was the semicolon, symbolizing a punctuation mark in literature where the author could have ended a sentence, but decided to continue the sentence instead," Jessica Trout said in a blog post on tinyturnip.com. "Our design is meant to empower those who are struggling to know it's okay not to be okay, to seek help and to know that their "game isn't over yet!"

Cox's death occurred not long after he and the Angels parted ways earlier that month. The club listed the departure as a "retirement." He was a minor league pitcher.

Nearly two years later, Jessica Trout is on the verge of giving birth to the couple's first child. She also is committed to having her brother's death make a difference for somebody else who is struggling.

"Over the past few years since that tragic day, I've learned that struggles with mental health are far too common," she said. "In the United States, almost half of adults will experience a mental health illness during their lifetime.

"Yet the stigmas attached to them cause many of these people to suffer in silence, which can be debilitating and even deadly. This is why Mike & I continue to partner with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and help raise awareness for the many Americans who may feel alone in their struggles. You are NEVER alone."

Trout, a three-time American League MVP, has left open the possibility of opting out of the 60-game season due to the upcoming birth. The season was shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic.

(Field Level Media)