HERO: DEBI OLIVER

Good can sometimes grow from tragedy. Some people learn compassion and understanding about terrible events in their lives that they later extend to others. Such has been the case with Debi Oliver.

This Cape Girardeau woman has worked hard to educate the public about suicide prevention. She learned the hard way how suicide rips a family apart. Her 16-year-old son took his life a few days after Christmas 1991.

Recently, Oliver put her knowledge to a very practical use. She talked down a very frightened, intoxicated young man who had climbed atop the Mississippi River bridge. Her effort was nothing short of heroic.

But she also proved an important lesson to anyone who comes into contact with troubled teen-agers -- police departments, schools, families and friends. Knowing more about suicide and its prevention can save lives. Not everyone will be told of an individual's plan to commit suicide. Friends, family members or co-workers who hear the threats should take them seriously.

Suicide is second only to accidents as the leading cause of death for teen-agers. Every year, about 5,000 teens commit suicide, an average of a teen suicide every 90 minutes.

Oliver has been a nurse for 12 years and has a degree in criminal justice. She has volunteered her time as a police reserve officer for two years. She serves as a peer counselor for the department.

She was nearly through with her 12-hour volunteer shift when the call came that a man was ready to jump off the bridge. It was 3:20 a.m. on a Friday night. He was about 60 feet above the bridge's railing. Oliver and the young man were so far apart they had to shout back and forth.

They talked for more than an hour. At first he refused to come down. But Oliver didn't give up. Her efforts paid off. The fire department's aerial truck was used to bring the man down.

After her son's death, Oliver spearheaded the establishment of a support group for people who have lost a loved one due to suicide. The group is called Survivors of Suicide of Southeast Missouri.

She would still like to see teen suicide-prevention programs added to curriculums at local schools. Oliver has also worked to establish training for police officers, ambulance workers and others who come into contact with suicides and other critical situations.

Oliver knows well that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. And she knows that talking about suicide doesn't cause young people to commit it. Talking is the best way to persuade someone not to kill himself. Talking defuses the situation and provides a chance for the individual to become rational.

Oliver has endured a painful loss and has channeled her energies into something very positive for the entire region. Both on the bridge and in her daily efforts, this remarkable woman is reaching out to people in need.