Episode 118: Jason Dyke, Dad and Founder of Carson’s Village

Written By Susie Gurley

*Trigger warning—this episode contains explicit talk about suicide and specific methodology

Jason is an incredible dad who lost his 11-year-old son, Carson, to suicide in 2017. Jason shares openly and candidly about losing his son, and how his closest friends, or “bus family,” came in and helped Jason and his family navigate the days following Carson’s death. Shortly after Carson’s funeral, Jason started thinking about all the people who don’t have a “bus family,” and don’t know what to do or who to call in the immediate aftermath of losing a loved one. When he couldn’t find any resources online, Jason decided to establish Carson’s Village (https://carsonsvillage.org/) to assist families after losing a loved one. Carson’s Village, an official 501(c)3 nonprofit, launched in January of 2018 and helped their first family in the Dallas area, where Jason lives. To date, Carson’s Village has helped almost 9,000 families across the United States in the aftermath of losing a loved one. Jason shares that initially he thought he could help everyone in person, but quickly realized that was not possible, so they pivoted to an online format. Carson’s Village helps with practical things like selecting a funeral home, explaining the funeral process, and creating fundraising pages. Carson’s Village now provides support to families for up to two years after losing a loved one through check-ins, support groups, peer-to-peer programs, counselors, and a partnership with Better Help (https://www.betterhelp.com/ (https://www.betterhelp.com/)). Additionally, Jason and his team have developed Bereavement Village (https://bereavementvillage.com/ (https://bereavementvillage.com/)) to “support the supporters”—those on the front lines. Carson’s Village partners with school districts, hospitals, companies, police departments, and the like to help families in practical ways after the death of a loved one. Feel free to reach out to Jason personally at jason@carsonsvillage.org  if you, your organization, or employer is interested in partnering with Carson’s Village.

Susie Gurley

Susie Stapp Gurley was born and raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. She married her college sweetheart, Dan Gurley, shortly after graduating from TCU with a degree in advertising and public relations. In her first career, Susie worked in college admissions and academic advising. Simultaneously she pursued a master’s degree from The University of Central Missouri in sociology and then worked for the Sedgwick County, KS Department of Aging as a case worker. Susie stepped away from the professional world in 1997 to become a stay-at-home mom. She spent the majority of the last 25 years as a wife, mother, and volunteer, primarily in her church and her three children’s schools and activities.

Susie became a mental health advocate after her youngest son became a teen spokesperson about his battle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. In 2018, at the age of 15, Will founded the You Matter Festival, a music festival promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Will shared his personal mental health struggles with the 1,000-person crowd, which started his role as a local KC teen advocate for mental health. Because of Will’s involvement, Susie recorded a video #Zeroreasonswhy (https://zeroreasonswhy.org), a Kansas City area organization working to end teen suicide in the Johnson County, Kansas area. This video was viewed over 10,000 times, which was the impetus of the Just A Mom podcast. Susie decided that she needed to follow the brave trail blazed by her son and became an outspoken advocate for parents of children who struggle with mental illness. The Just a Mom podcast launched in September of 2022 and encourages parents to know that they are not alone and there is hope.

Susie served as the Executive Director of the You Matter Festival and is currently on the Friends of Johnson County Mental Health Board. Susie has grown three children, two daughters-in-law, and a son-in-law.

Next

Episode 117: Jacqueline Janssen, Mom, Advocate, and Author