Max's Mission, Naperville, IL (2026)

09/03/2026

There is no timeline for grief.

And when you lose a child, that loss is forever.

Grieving parents may look fine, but we carry our children with us every day.

Because time does not erase love.
It does not erase memories.
And it does not erase the need to honor a life that mattered.

Even 26 years later.

And when the loss is to su***de, grief can come with another layer - the whys, the what ifs, and the endless replaying of what could have been done differently.

Not all su***des are preventable.

For Christian, his stepmom Robin says, "There were no signs, just one day our hearts were broken and we were left with all of the whys."

Sometimes people feel safer if they can point to one reason - a breakup, job loss, financial problems, one difficult moment.

But su***de is rarely that simple.

A person can be deeply loved, surrounded by people, full of personality and life - and still be carrying pain that others cannot see.

Robin remembers the last time their family was with Christian. They were out eating together when his dad needed a refill. Chris called out to the waitress in his best New York accent "Hey! My Pops needs a drink!"

That was Christian.

Funny. Lovable. Full of personality. And all-around good kid who was deeply loved then and is deeply loved now.

Twenty-six years later, his life still matters.

And today, we say his name.

If you have lost someone to su***de and would like to honor their life through our Say Their Name project, click the link below to participate.

https://maxs-mission.org/saytheirname

-----------------------------------

• Christian Bailey, 21 years old

• Lake Havasu, Arizona

• What do you want the world to know about your stepson?

• Chris was a funny, lovable young kid who had tons of friends. He was a shy boy growing up, but eventually grew into a strong, compassionate young man who loved with all of his heart.

• What were your stepson's hobbies?

• Chris liked hanging out with friends, and anything lake related since he grew up by the lake.

• What do you do to honor your son?

• Losing Chris 26 years ago has really made up pay closer attention to those we love.

• What is one word to describe your stepson?

• Devoted

09/02/2026

Wendy has been gone since 2014.

This submission is from her neighbor at the time, Robin.

I think there is something especially meaningful about that.

Because sometimes we think about the people who leave a lasting impact on our lives as family members or lifelong friends.

But sometimes, it is a neighbor.

Someone who lived a few houses away.

Someone whose kids played with your kids.

Or whose kids babysat your kids.

Someone who was simply part of the rhythm of every day life.

Robin remembers them all being close friends, having block parties together, with everyone pulling out their grills to the street, cooking enough food to share, and everyone's kids playing together.

A much simpler time.

Wendy would bring snacks for all of the kids.

Robin says she was kindhearted in every way.

She loved animals, and would nurture anything if she found a hurt animal.

Wendy's son and girlfriend had just had just given her her first grandchild and she was over the moon happy about having him in her life.

She was a great mom to her four children.

Robin's last sentence to me was:

"The world lost a wonderful human being for sure."

At the end of her email, Robin included a quote from Maya Angelou:

"I've learned that people will forget what you did, but people never forget how you made them feel."

More than 12 years later, Robin remembers exactly how Wendy made her feel.

And maybe that is one of the greatest footprints we can leave behind.

Wendy's kind heart is still remembered by the lives she touched.

And today, we say her name.

If you would like to participate in my Say Their Name project please click on the link below:

https://maxs-mission.org/saytheirname

------------------------------

• Wendy Pharis, 41 years old

• McKinney, Texas

• What do you want the world to know about your friend?

• Wendy was an absolute breath of fresh air. She loved nature, animals, her children and especially her 1st grandchild who had just been born. She was fun, and the life of the party at neighborhood gatherings. Our hearts were broken the day she left us.

• What were your friend's hobbies?

• She loved being in nature and with birds and animals.

• What is one word to describe your friend?

• Beautiful

09/01/2026

September is here, and Su***de Prevention Month is upon us.

But I prefer to call is Su***de Awareness Month.

Because those of us who have lost a loved one to su***de know that not all su***des are preventable.

So many families did everything within their power to help their loved one. Others had no signs at all that their loved one was even struggling.

And still, we lost them.

So throughout September, I want to focus on awareness.

Awareness of the lives lost.

Awareness of the families left behind.

Awareness that su***de affects every kind of person, family, and community.

A friend once told me that this project must be difficult - that writing about a life lost to su***de every day of the month must be depressing.

Maybe, from the outside, it is.

But for those of us who have experienced su***de loss, I hope this project feels like something different.

I hope it reminds you that you are not alone.

That your loved one still matters.

That they are still loved.

That they made a mark on this world.

There is no positive or hopeful spin to put on losing someone you love to su***de.

The loss is devastating. The grief is lifelong.

But we can make sure their deaths never erase their lives.

We tell their stories.

We share their faces.

We remember who they were.

And we Say Their Name.

This beautiful soul below is Brittany, and her mom Nancy says "She is missed every single day by her daughters, sisters and family and there is a void in my life that can never be filled. Until we meed again my love."

----------------------------------------

• Brittany Schmidt, 40 years old.

• Darien, Illinois

• What do you want the world to know about your daughter?

• Britt loved motherhood and her family. She had the most beautiful smile that would light up any room she walked into.

• What were your daughter's hobbies?

• She loved rescuing and fostering dogs. Loved pickleball and all sports.

• What do you do to honor your daughter?

• We celebrate on her birthday by getting together as a family and release a balloon.

• What is one word to describe your daughter?

• Beautiful

***deawareness

08/15/2026

These are just a few of the many lives we have honored through our Say Their Name project at Max’s Mission. ❤️

Throughout September, I will be honoring one life lost to su***de every single day.

September is commonly referred to as Su***de Prevention Month. Personally, I prefer Su***de Awareness Month.

I absolutely believe in su***de prevention—in education, resources, connection, treatment, reducing stigma and doing everything we can to help people stay.

But I also believe we need to acknowledge something that can be very difficult for su***de loss survivors to say out loud:

Not every su***de is preventable.

Sometimes a person is deeply loved.

Sometimes people are paying attention.

Sometimes help is being offered.

Sometimes families are doing everything they know how to do.

And still, a life is lost.

That is one reason awareness matters so much.

Each year, more than 700,000 people around the world die by su***de.

Through this project, I can acknowledge and honor just a few of those lives.

Their lives still matter.

And they deserve to be remembered for how they lived—not how they died.

That is the heart of our Say Their Name project.

Throughout September, Max’s Mission will share the names, faces, stories, personalities, passions and memories of people who have died by su***de—and who are still so fiercely loved by their families and friends.

If you have lost someone to su***de, I would be honored to include your person in this year’s Say Their Name project.

Tell us who they were.

Tell us what they loved.

Tell us what made them them.

Submit your loved one through the link in our bio or at:
maxs-mission.org/saytheirname

This September, we will Say Their Names and honor these wonderful humans who left us far too soon.

Because their story did not end with the way they died. ❤️

***deAwarenessMonth ***deLoss ***deLossSurvivor

08/12/2026

This photo of Joelle and me from our Butterfly Release makes me smile.

Joelle and I are both bereaved moms.

We both know the unimaginable pain of losing a child to su***de, and we both know how powerful it can be to find someone who understands a loss that can feel impossible to put into words.

Two years ago, Joelle and I didn't even know each other.

Grief brought our paths together.

And somewhere along the way, a friendship grew from a place neither of us would have ever chosen to be.

There was so much wrapped into that day.

Love.

Grief.

Remembrance.

Connection.

And the quiet understanding that comes from being surrounded by people who know what it means to carry someone with you after they are gone.

Our Butterfly Release was never really just about releasing butterflies.

It was about creating a place where people could gather and remember the people they love.

A place where no one had to explain their grief.

A place where names could be spoken, stories could be shared, tears could fall, and laughter could exist right alongside them.

That is one of the things I have learned since losing Max: grief and joy are not opposites. Somehow, we learn to carry both.

And on that beautiful June day, watching butterflies take flight while families stood together remembering the people they love, I could feel exactly why Max’s Mission exists.

To help people feel less alone.

To create connection in the midst of unimaginable loss.

And to continue saying their names.

I am so grateful for Joelle, and for every person who helped make this day possible and every family who trusted us with the name and memory of someone they love.

We will carry them with us.

Always. ❤️🦋

All of our amazing donations would not have been possible without these local businesses that donated flowers, cupcakes, succulents, ice cream, coffee and tea.

Thank you so much -

And this video was made possible by the incredibly talented and kind

Thank you to all who made this day possible!

08/02/2026

“You can’t break a bundle of branches when you hold them all together.”

Separately, each branch may be easy to break. But when they are gathered and bound together, they become stronger.

That is the power of connection.

That is the power of community.

And I know, without question, that I am stronger because of the incredible people pictured here—and so many others who have walked beside me through the unimaginable loss of my son Max to su***de.

This group of volunteers, board members, friends, and family helped make our Butterfly Release in June possible.

Every person in this photo has been affected by su***de in some way.

Su***de touches far more people than many realize. Yet shame, silence, and stigma still surround su***de loss.

That is why we do the work we do at Max’s Mission.

To lessen the isolation.

To challenge the shame and stigma.

To create spaces where people can speak openly about their loss.

And to remind anyone suffering alone that there is a community here ready to welcome them with open arms.

Because no human being should have to carry this pain alone.

Sometimes the people who can help us carry our pain are already around us, but grief can make them difficult to see.

Reach for them. Let them reach for you.

Our losses may change us. They may bend us. But when we hold one another close, we become harder to break.

This is what community can do.

It does not take away the loss.

It helps us to survive it.

We may each carry our own loss, but we do not have to carry it alone.

Our next support group will be Tuesday August 18th at 6pm in downtown Naperville.For more information, please email [email protected] for more details.

07/20/2026

"A tragedy worse than losing a loved one to su***de, is if they are forgotten. This monument will be an expression of remembrance."

-Father Charles T. Rubey, Founder of LOSS

Completed and dedicated in June 2026 at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleums in Hillside, IL, a beautiful memorial now stands in honor of those who have died by su***de—and the survivors who continue to carry their love and memory.

What makes this memorial especially meaningful is where it has been placed.

It is not hidden in a distant corner of the cemetery.

Believed to be the first of its kind in the United States, its placement is just as powerful as the memorial itself.

It stands front and center.

Every person entering Queen of Heaven must drive past it on the way to the rest of the cemetery.

And that matters.

In a Catholic cemetery, where su***de loss has historically carried deep stigma and silence, this memorial is given a place of visibility, dignity, and honor.

The installation features a six-foot-tall bronze angel with a granite seat beneath her wings, facing a 19-foot-tall stainless-steel spiral of flying doves.

The three-year project was a collaboration between the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic Charities Loving Outreach to Survivors of Su***de Loss, known as LOSS, and Catholic Cemeteries of Chicago.

It was dedicated in honor of LOSS founder Father Charles T. Rubey, who has spent 47 years providing grief support to su***de loss survivors.

This memorial honors those lost to su***de and is for the survivors left behind, while reducing the stigma around su***de.

This memorial honors those who died by su***de.

It creates a place of peace and healing for those left behind.

And by standing so visibly at the entrance of a Catholic cemetery, it sends a powerful message:

These lives are worthy of remembrance.

These families are worthy of compassion.

And su***de loss should never be hidden in shame or silence.

Remember to always keep Saying Their Names.

Max Wijangco

07/14/2026

Some weeks carry more loss than words can hold.

As Max's mom, I know how one death changes a family forever.

I also know that behind every loss people are trying to understand how life can possibly continue without someone they love.

Loss that may never make the news.

Grief that much of the world will never see.

Families, friends and communities trying to comprehend how life changes so suddenly - and how they are supposed to move forward from here.

In weeks like these, I am reminded why this work matters.

Why we speak openly about su***de.

Why we make space for grief.

Why we Say Their Names.

Why we continue building community for those left behind.

Because silence does not make the pain disappear.

But connection can help us carry what feels impossible to carry alone.

It can help us keep living while still honoring, loving and carrying our loved ones with us.

Because death cannot extinguish the light of those we love - as long as we continue to Say Their Names.

Max Wijangco

07/03/2026

Consistence presence is so hard in a world where we want to write the card, deliver the casserole, and go back to our regular programming.

If we could all take a pause, and think about those around us that are grieving losses and give them a little extra attention.

Remember the important dates.

Say Their Names.

Consistently show up.

Perfect words that people wrote in a card or said to me after Max died I have long forgotten.

Those words bring me no solace in my grief now, and they didn't then.

Because nothing but bringing our loved ones back can take away the pain.

We need people to show up and be comfortable sitting with us in our pain.

The people who keep showing up, year after year, and walk alongside me on this lifelong grief journey...they are priceless.

And most of the time, they don't say the 'perfect words.'

Sometimes they say nothing at all.

But they show up.

For a 100 mile fundraiser bike ride for Max's Mission.

Balloons on Max's bench at the skatepark on his birthday this year.

Texts, calls, and walks on extra hard days.

Board members and volunteers who continue to plug away at building our nonprofit so that we can serve more survivors so they don't feel all alone.

Memories that are still shared with me about the light Max was to this world.

And friends that truly get this loss because they are living it too.

You don't have to have the perfect words for people you want to support.

You just need to continue to show up.

Consistently.

06/22/2026

Solstice Century #3 is in the books.

It was an amazing day with close to 60 riders and with over 120k raised so far.

I have watched this event grow each year and it is truly a special event, and a day that is so much fun!

Zac Larson from IntentGen hosts this entire event, with food, drinks, snacks, apparel and everything you need to make the day enjoyable.

And all the money raised goes back to six local charities - one of them being Max's Mission.

To those of you who have donated, thank you so much for continuing to support our mission.

And for those of you who showed up to bike for Max's Mission this past Friday, it truly touches my heart to see this support.

Helen, who drove from New Orleans to be a part of this.

Vickie, who raised over 5k for Max's Mission, was sick, but still came out and put in 30 miles,

Jim, who continues to show up for Ray year after year, always by his side on his bike, donating his time and money to Max's Mission.

Mike, an old co-worker Ray recently connected with and took a day out of his busy week to do the Solstice and raise money for Max's Mission.

Scott, whose wife Leslie donates her time to help Max's Mission grow, did the ride and raised over 1k for Max's Mission.

Ray, who biked 150 miles, but whose counting? Ray is :)

Owen - you surprised us all and made it past 100 even though you haven't stepped foot on a bike in years. Truly impressive.

Cathy & Leslie, who volunteered their time to volunteer at the event.

With everything in life, it takes a village and a dream.

And because of visionaries like Zac Larson, and the villages we have created to help us on this journey, this was the largest amount of money raised at this event in three years.

And it was such a fun day full of laughter, connection and community.

Which is what we all need more of in our lives.

Consider the Solstice Century for 2027 and help us get to our goal of 100 riders.

And - it's not too late to donate! Click on link to donate:
https://givebutter.com/2026solsticecentury/mental-health-services/jillwijangco2

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