OXFORD – Every 15 minutes, a person dies by their own hand in the United States, leaving friends and loved ones to cope with confusion and grief. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention strives to help those who have suffered such a loss find support and solace in one another. This Saturday, the organization will host the 12th annual National Survivors of Suicide Day.

The touchstone of the event will be a broadcast, produced by AFSP, featuring a panel of medical experts and people who have lost loved ones to suicide. The broadcast will be aired at events in more than 275 cities around the world, including right here in Chenango County. It will also be available online at www.afsp.org.

The local observance of the day of healing will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the United Methodist Church, 36 S. Washington Ave. in Oxford. The event, now in its third year, has been organized by Danielle Marshman Williamson.

Williamson knows first hand the pain, confusion and heart-rending loss experienced by those who have lost a loved one to suicide. In 2001, her father took his own life.

“When it happens, you feel so alone, and you don’t know how to deal with it,” she explained.