Anthony’s Scholarship Living with a Sense of Purpose

John Fisher is devoted to fighting for the rights of suicide victims and their families. Suicide is the leading cause of preventable death in our country. Sadly, those suffering from depression and mental health illnesses are often neglected or under-treated in our health system. Mr. Fisher is proud to introduce Anthony’s Scholarship, a scholarship created to educate and provide resources to those suffering from suicidal ideation and depression, and their families.

This award is aptly named after one of the many victims of suicide, Anthony Banhart. Anthony cared deeply for his family. He was generous, kind and was always there when you needed him. Anthony was taken by police to the hospital’s emergency department after a suicide note was discovered at his home. Family members and members of the police department warned the hospital personnel that Anthony had plans to end his life and desperately needed emergency medical and psychiatric treatment. Anthony never got the treatment he so badly needed. Without seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist, Anthony was released from the emergency department with no follow-up treatment plan and took his own life three days later.

A common myth about suicide malpractice cases is that the patient’s death was inevitable even with proper medical management and counseling. With proper medical and psychiatric treatment, Anthony would likely be alive today.

Accessible mental health care would have a positive impact on susceptible individuals who suffer from suicidal tendencies. Legislation could make health care mandatory for people who need it, profoundly helping them, as well as limiting or regulating access to the firearms which are involved in the leading method of suicide.

Mr. Fisher has established a scholarship in the amount of $2,000 to a student who is interested in these issues. Applicants should discuss how legislation addressing U.S. health care and/or access to firearms could help prevent suicide.

Scholarship Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship the applicant must be enrolled in an academic program. This includes current high school seniors and college students with plans to continue their education in the upcoming semester. Applicants must also have maintained a 3.0 or higher GPA in school.

Application

In order to be considered, an application for this scholarship must include:

• A school resume,
• A recent transcript,
• A 500-1,000 word article with thoughtful ideas on how legislation can be implemented to lower or decrease the rate of suicide in the United States.