Ian was 14 when he ended his life by suicide. There’s not one person in his circle that could say they saw the signs or that he shared his struggles. In fact, to the outside world Ian would be the kid that you imagined had it all. He had an extraordinary gift of fostering deep connections that knew no limits.  He was creative with his camera, loving with his friends and family, and pretty damn good at anything he tried. Which could have been a new sport, a new instrument or whatever new thing he was into at the moment. He will forever epitomize the embodiment of sheer coolness.

The community still lives in the shock and trauma of his suicide. And through telling Ian’s story, we became acutely aware that the missing ingredient to his survival was to voice the hardest parts of living . Sharing his story with transparency and vulnerability gives us the chance to connect to those that feel like Ian did. Our Live Hard Story started with Ian, but continues to be an open invitation to everyone we meet to share more than just your highlight reel.

Ian remains a luminous presence and lives on in our vision and values.