CHICAGO (WLS) — If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

It’s a walk no family ever wants to take, but for two sisters, each step is filled with purpose.

After losing their brother to suicide a year and a half ago, they’re now turning heartbreak into hope and are determined to make sure no other family suffers the same loss.

Sister Elizabeth and Katherine Woidat share the grief with their mother Colette.

Will was the youngest and the only boy of the family.

He grew up loving baseball, different kinds of music and had a great sense of humor.

“Just a well-rounded kind, caring person who struggled with mental health throughout his life and we knew that and he was very open about that,” Elizabeth said.

In March of 2024, Will lived at home after graduating college. His sisters said he was having a tough time adjusting to a new chapter in his life.

He died by suicide at the age of 23.

“The day before happened to be my birthday and that was the last day I got to spend with him which I obviously now cherish,” Katherine said.

Now, Will’s family is channeling their grief into advocacy, forming a team to take part in this year’s “Out of the Darkness” Suicide Prevention Walk.

The walk is sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Angela Cummings is the executive director of the Illinois chapter. She said every step helps fund research, support services, and education programs that save lives.

“We know when people get connected to treatments or medications that help, then they can manage their conditions and go on to lead a perfectly happy life,” Cummings said.

The walk is happening on Saturday at 9 am. at Montrose harbor.

It’s the largest walk for suicide prevention in the country.

To learn more, click here.