This post contains content regarding suicide.
A 24-year-old woman, who openly shared her struggles with anorexia and depression online, died by suicide on Tuesday. A day after, a message went live on her Instagram account, where she currently has over 2,500 followers.
Yocheved Gourarie reportedly jumped off of the Vessel in Manhattan on Tuesday. According to the New York Post, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gourarie scheduled an Instagram post to be published the following day. In the post, which starts with a warning note, Gourarie acknowledged that the publishing of it may pain her parents, who, she said, received a personal note from her. She said she gave her parents the option of making that note public as well.
In a Friday Instagram post by her father, who she can be seen singing a rendition of “Moon River” with in a recent video on her account, he said that “life will never be the same.”
He also shared that he “sent her a pic of a cute pup” every day she was at the Center for Change, a facility in Utah for women struggling with eating disorders.
“Yocheved, you were the cutest, prettiest, kindest ‘pup’ a father could hope for. It will take time to heal. Thanks to all for helping us along in that process,” he wrote.
“We are only finding out now how she gave of herself to others and how many lives she touched,” he added.
Gourarie was an advocate for mental health awareness, and her account is full of posts chronicling her journey with anorexia and depression.
In a post from August, she shared that she was battling anorexia since she was 12 and praised the National Eating Disorders Association, encouraging her followers to donate to the non-profit.
In a post from January, she thanked her followers for the “outpouring of support and appreciation” she received ever since “sharing (her) truth.”
“Some have reached out with their own stories, others asked how to seek help,” she wrote at the time. “Others have thanked me simply for speaking honestly, letting them know they weren’t alone and letting me know how impactful simply speaking our truths can be.”
For more information about suicide prevention or to speak with someone confidentially, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (U.S.) or Samaritans (U.K.).
If you are a teen dealing with depression or other mental health issues, see PBS.org for a list of resources and organizations that can help you. If you are an adult, see Mental Health Resources.
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H/T New York Post