Lil Poppa’s mother has launched a mental health foundation in her late son’s honor.
On Tuesday (Sept. 22), Orie Lynn Hickson announced the launch of More to Life, a foundation created to honor her son’s legacy and bring an idea he had before his death to life. The organization focuses on three areas: mental health support, economic opportunity and creative expression.
“[Hickson] is stepping into this work not because she has all the answers, but because she believes deeply in what her son envisioned and is committed to surrounding the Foundation with strong leadership, knowledgeable professionals, community partners and people who share that vision,” the foundation wrote on their Facebook page.
According to Action News Jax, the foundation will host a community mixer next month to formally introduce its mission to local nonprofits and community organizations.
Lil Poppa died by suicide in February. His mother later confirmed he had methamphetamine in his system when he shot himself, and wrote a heartfelt message on social media revealing her son was dealing with depression and anxiety at the time and was using drugs to medicate himself.
“The reports confirmed that methamphetamine was in his system at the time of his passing,” wrote Hickson in part. “As his family, we truly believe the drugs played a major part in what happened.”
“Although he did struggle with depression and anxiety, we know in our hearts that the substances affecting his mind and judgment made an already difficult battle even heavier,” she continued. “The son we knew and loved would never have wanted to leave behind his child, his family, or the people who cared about him so deeply if he had been in the right state of mind.”
“Substance abuse can change a person’s thinking, emotions, and decisions in heartbreaking ways. We are sharing this not to shame him, but to tell the truth and hopefully bring awareness to how dangerous these drugs truly are, especially when someone is already struggling emotionally or mentally,” she added.
The Florida rhymer’s death followed after being in a single-car accident. He was 25 years old.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or contemplating self-harm, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit Speakingofsuicide.com for additional resources.
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