Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Fast Forward

WATCH: Jewish Congresswoman Urges Struggling People To Seek Help On Anniversary Of Partner’s Death

Speaking from the floor of the House of Representatives, Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania tearfully revealed on Tuesday night that her life partner had died by suicide the previous month, and urged people struggling with mental health issues to seek help.

“Why am I sharing this very personal story? Because we all need to recognize that mental health issues know no boundaries,” she said. “I do not want anyone else to suffer as he suffered, nor any family to suffer as mine has over the past month.”

Wild, who is Jewish, said her partner, 63-year-old Kerry Acker, “shouldn’t have had a care in the world,” with financial security and loving family and friends. “And yet, incomprehensibly, he seemingly did not grasp the toll the absence would have on those who loved him,” she said.

Wild urged people dealing with mental health issues to talk to loved ones and consider calling 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK.

“To anyone who is concerned about someone in their lives, please pick up the phone or take that drive to go see them. Don’t wait,” Wild concluded her speech, to applause from the gallery.

Wild, a Democrat who represents the Lehigh Valley, was first elected in 2018. She has co-sponsored bills aimed at improving access to mental health services through Medicare and Medicaid, Roll Call reported.

Aiden Pink is the deputy news editor of the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aidenpink

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.