Just hold on

If I could write a list of names of people who were meant to come into my life, Bradley Braich would definitely be in the top five.

Side note: I used to play basketball in middle school and somehow sprained my finger every damn time I’d dribble down the court.

I, despite my extreme enthusiasm to prove my taller teammates wrong, was a terrible player. At three-foot-eight, the only time I felt like a star was when I could cheer on my friends from the bench.

At least I literally gave it a shot.

When I first interviewed Bradley, he was the captain of the Yale Lions men’s basketball team. He was shy, yet had a purposeful voice. His eyes were full of determination and in the next moment, a glimpse of uncertainty mixed with heartbreaking pain.

Bradley had attempted to take his own life just seven months before the day we met.

I remember internally gasping and fighting back tears during our interview. My heart sunk deep into my stomach and I even forgot my next question. All I could think about was how different life would have been if the pills Bradley swallowed took his life. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t even be writing this story.