Utah State HC Blake Anderson shares a heartfelt post on son’s birthday after losing his battle with mental health

Two years ago, Cason Anderson, the son of Blake Anderson, committed suicide after suffering from mental health issues.

He made an Instagram post recently on what would have been Cason’s 23rd birthday. In the post, he raised mental health awareness, urging anyone going through such challenges to speak up.

“Today Cason should have turned 23… so much life ahead cut short by depression & suicide. MENTAL HEALTH IS REAL !!! If you or someone you know are struggling please speak up before it’s to late. #NeverAlone 💚”

The unexpected death of Blake Anderson’s son

The death of Blake Anderson’s son, Cason, was sudden to the family. In a video released by Utah State in 2022 in promotion of mental health awareness, Anderson narrated the situation surrounding his son’s suicide, explaining how broken he’s been since then.

“Somewhere in the middle of the night when everyone was gone, Cason went to a place which was so dark, he didn’t want to do it anymore,” Anderson said. “He didn’t want to be here anymore … Our lives forever changed that morning. A piece of me, a piece of our family is gone, and it will never come back.”

Anderson conveyed that he and his family had never observed any indications that Cason had been experiencing difficulties relating to mental health at any time.

A new life purpose for Anderson

Following the death of his son, Blake Anderson said that he found himself a new purpose in the realm of mental health advocacy. His personal experiences allowed him to fully appreciate the fortunate position he found himself in and how he can impact others from there.

“I needed to find purpose in the pain,” Anderson remembers. “If you’re struggling, it is okay to be broken. It is okay to ask for help. If it’s possible to stop it before it gets to that point, then we’ve gotta do everything we can to keep it from happening.”