Less than a week after the body of a beloved Chicago Public Schools teacher was pulled from Lake Michigan, her family is launching an initiative to help others facing similar tragic circumstances.
A large-scale search effort for the missing Chicago teacher Linda Brown took place over several days, coming to a close when her body was pulled from Lake Michigan around noon on January 12 at the 31st Street Harbor, 9 days after she took her life.
Her body was found near where she was captured on surveillance camera on Jan. 3. Video showed Brown parking her car around 3 a.m. then walking across the 35th Street pedestrian bridge.
Brown’s niece Jen Rivera spoke exclusively with NBC Chicago Saturday on grief, healing and the project she started to honor her aunt’s life.
“Despite it being the most difficult time of our lives, the support has really helped us get through,” Rivera said. “How can I turn my pain and my family’s pain into purpose?”
Rivera said Brown’s death was a surprise, though they were aware she was struggling.
“I just think that we probably didn’t know how much,” Rivera said.
She said the process her family has gone through since Brown went missing has been overwhelming and it inspired her to launch the Linda Brown Initiative to ease that burden for other families.
The program aims to provide structured and trauma-informed guidance to connect families with the resources they need most.
The initiative would help families by “bridging the gap between law enforcement, communicating, media,” and helping the family know “what to say, what not to say.”
“It’s based on our lived experience,” Rivera said.
Rivera said she hopes to eventually expand the initiative across the United States.
“We want to honor her because she was such an important piece of our family,” Rivera said. “She’s a piece of our family that we are very much going to miss.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or go to 988lifeline.org, to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
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