Sep 9, 2014 By David Singer 2 min read

Ian Cummins says no one should be alone.

Not even Cummins, who walked nearly 3,200 miles to San Francisco to raise awareness about suicide, was alone for his entire trip. Childhood friend Jake Lusardi, 20, joined him in Kansas to help him finish his journey following the death of Cummins’ brother Ryan, who committed suicide in November 2013. Cummins and Lusardi met thousands in the nearly seven-month trip to help dispel stigmas surrounding mental illness.

Both were honored by State Representative Dan Miller (D-Mt. Lebanon) on Sept. 9 as they finally returned home to be with their families after Cummins left Virginia Beach on March 1, 2014, and arrived in San Francisco on Aug. 30.

The 23-year-old Cummins, of Dormont, said the end of the journey is just the beginning of a larger campaign to help those cope with loss – and to prevent family and friends from taking their own lives.

“Awareness is best when those who struggle can come forward without fear to put a face to the statistics,” Cummins said.

Nearly 30,000 people lose their lives every year to suicide fueled by depression or other forms of mental illness.

To better publicize local efforts, Cummins is partnering with Christine Michaels of National Alliance Against Mental Illness Southwestern Pa. chapter to lead a much smaller walk on Oct. 5 at the Waterfront in Homestead.

“The system (to help with mental illness) isn’t broken, it is barely existent,” Rep. Miller said. “And we must as a nation move beyond stigma and isolation to help everyone reach their potential”