As lightning lit up the sky outside, rain-soaked sponsors of 33 Forever’s Birthday Walk carried their booths from the Carrousel’s lawn to shelter inside, lining up alongside two children’s birthday parties already underway.
Attendees who had come prepared to walk 3.3 km downtown (starting promptly at 11:33am) followed them inside. And stayed.
What could have been a rained-out event turned into something more intimate for Jeff and Donna Heck, founders of 33 Forever, Inc. Instead of trying to reschedule or tear down, they were surrounded by emotional conversation, reunions, and stories from people who say the organization helped save their lives.
On the morning of May 16th, the Carrousel was packed full with walkers, kids, reptiles, and even those with no knowledge of the event shuffled in and out, interacting with the people and mental health organizations participating in the event.
“We had probably 15 or maybe 20 hearty souls who actually went out and walked,” Jeff Heck said.
“They came back drenched and looking like drowned rats, but smiling and happy they did it.”
What is 33 Forever?
In February 2019, Jeff and Donna Heck lost their daughter, Danielle “Dani” Leedy, to suicide.
A vibrant young woman with a passion for mental health advocacy, Dani traveled to Florida and California for a career in the behavioral health treatment industry.
“Dani would say, ‘I could see myself in front of a room talking to 1,000 people,’” Jeff said.
“Donna and I looked at each other like, ‘we can’t let what she was doing just go away.’”
33 Forever, Inc. was created to honor Dani’s life and champion the causes she held dear. For Donna, part of the mission also comes from the resources she struggled to find herself after losing Dani.
“I was looking for a book or a story on how a mom survived something like this. My counselor said, ‘If you can’t find what you’re looking for, then you need to create it,’” Donna said.
The annual birthday walk has grown into a deeply personal gathering place for people navigating grief, depression, suicide loss, and mental health struggles of their own.
This year exacerbated that feeling, the storm forcing the groups closer than anticipated, strangers talking to strangers about their deepest traumas, or exchanging comforting glances without a need for words.
“Somebody came behind me and said, ‘Because of your first walk, I’m here today. Your daughter saved my life,” Donna said.
Jeff said moments like that continue to affirm why they began 33 Forever in the first place.
“Some of those folks, they feel like family now. We may only see them once a year at the walk, and they come up and it’s just a hug fest,” Jeff said.
This year, the organization awarded three scholarships, receiving nearly 50 applications from students across the county. The scholarships are not solely based on academic achievement, but also community involvement and essays centered on resilience and mental health experiences.
Dani’s Lighthouse
In addition to building connections between mental health providers and the community, the annual event serves as a major fundraiser for the rehabilitation facilities that 33 Forever had a hand in helping establish, including Dani’s Place in Toledo, and the new Danielle’s Lighthouse – right here at home.
Danielle’s Lighthouse, a 10-bed recovery home at 87 E. First St. in downtown Mansfield began serving clients May 18. The home, operated by Coleman Health Services, gives Richland County residents a place to rebuild stability and independence after a mental health crisis.
With other health issues, like strokes, heart attacks, and addictions, patients often have a period of rehabilitation. For survivors of suicide, that option is not commonly available. This fills that gap, and it’s meant to be as comfortable as possible.
“Dani loved her birthday. Every year she had funfetti cake and cheese pizza. That stayed from her childhood. Every time someone has a birthday there as a resident, we want to give them a birthday party, and make it feel like home,” Jeff and Donna said.
Get help, give help
Jeff and Donna Heck’s mission to make people feel welcome in the world is working. Whether through a community walk or a slice of funfetti cake in the hospital on your birthday, they have found a way to make those suffering in silence feel special, or at the very least – noticed.
33 Forever has grown into a statewide force for mental health advocacy.
“She wanted to go out and speak and help people. We basically picked up where she left off,” Donna said.
To learn more or get involved, visit https://33forever.life/ or their social media pages.
If you are experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide and need help, try these hotlines: National Suicide Crisis Lifeline: 9-8-8, Text: MHA to 741741 from anywhere in the US.If you need local resources like food, utility assistance, clothing, etc: Call 211. Richland County has walk-in services located at 36 West Third Street Mansfield, OH 44902 available from: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Monday through Friday.