photo by: Courtesy of Gayla Kelly

Logan Zane was "much more than a mental illness," his mother, pictured hugging him, says. "He was kind and caring,” made friends easily and “touched lives in amazing ways.”

A mom who lost her 29-year-old son to suicide in Lawrence last year is asking people to perform acts of kindness on the upcoming anniversary of his death.

Gayla Kelly’s only son, Logan Zane, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound sometime between Feb. 19, when he wrote a suicide note, and Feb. 25, when his body was discovered in a wooded area near the Kansas River.

“That was a week of pure hell that began this grief journey of heartbreak and torture that I still don’t know how we have survived,” Kelly said in a Facebook post. “I am asking that this year during this week [Feb. 19-25] everyone joins me in remembering Logan and doing acts of kindness in his memory.”

Kelly encouraged people to share their acts during that week on the event post “or keep them private if you prefer, but go out and make a difference in someone’s life.”

“Remember you deserve acts of kindness too,” she added, “so maybe you need to treat yourself somehow.”

As the Journal-World reported, Logan was a KU alumnus and member of the university’s marching and pep bands. Kelly authorized an unusually frank obituary about Logan’s life and the mental health struggles that led to his death, not just to honor the reality of his existence but also in the hope that other families touched by suicide will feel less alone.

“Sharing Logan’s truth,” rather than burying what happened, “was very important to me,” she told the Journal-World at the time. “… I needed my Logan to be shared, not a rainbow and roses version of him.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one or would like emotional support, the 988 Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. You may also text 741741 to speak with a crisis counselor. Locally, HeadQuarters Kansas can be reached at (785) 841-2345.