Raising Joy

Brad Hunstable, CEO of electric motor company Linear Labs in Fort Worth and an Army veteran, understands firsthand the complexities that grieving families face after losing a child to suicide.

Nothing prepared him for April 17, 2020, the day a figurative “nuclear bomb” went off in his world, altering it forever. Hunstable had just finished a call when his daughter, then 8, ran to him, telling him something was wrong with her big brother Hayden. The 12-year-old had been playing his favorite video game Fortnite in his bedroom while his dad worked from home.

Hunstable rushed upstairs to his son’s bedroom and found Hayden in the closet, unresponsive. He called 911 and tried unsuccessfully to revive him. Hayden—described as a fun-loving, active boy who enjoyed playing sports and loved life––died by suicide four days shy of his 13th birthday.

Over the past two years, Hunstable has been on a mission to prevent the same tragedy from hitting other families. Through his non-profit, Hayden’s Corner, Hunstable spreads the message #ConversationsMatter, encouraging parents to talk to their kids about suicide. He and his wife also produced the award-winning documentary Almost Thirteen to raise awareness of Hayden’s story.

On this episode of Raising Joy, Hunstable candidly shares what he has learned since Hayden’s death and what he hopes other parents can learn from his experience.

Raising Joy is part of Cook Children’s Health Care System’s Joy Campaign, a communications initiative aimed at preventing youth suicides. For more information about the Joy Campaign, visit cookchildrens.org/joy.

What is Raising Joy?

Raising Joy is part of Cook Children’s Joy Campaign, which aims to encourage hope and resilience among children and teens. Cook Children’s Health Care System is located in Fort Worth, Texas and has seen the mental and emotional toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on children and their families. In this podcast, hosts Wini King and Dr. Kristen Pyrc explore topics of anxiety, stress, depression, trauma and suicide in order to bring hope and needed resources to struggling children and families. Raising Joy is produced by the public relations team at Cook Children’s. The theme music was created by Raymond Turner from the Sparklefly Recording Studio at Cook Children’s.

Disclaimer: The opinions and advice provided by our guests are not endorsed by Cook Children’s. If you
or someone you know are struggling, please reach out for professional help. Cook Children’s has a list of crisis contact information for youth and families on its website: cookchildrens.org/joy.