Please visit the CDC Injury Center 20th Anniversary web site for toolkits, talking points, and other resources to help us commemorate our 20 years, and to spread the word about injury and violence prevention.

I have many stories that I could tell about injuries and violence, from both my professional and personal lives. One of my nephews was diagnosed with depression when he was in high school.  He was treated, eventually finished school, and graduated from college at the age of 25.  He was accepted to law school, but tragically, he died by suicide shortly after receiving his acceptance letter. Working in trauma and emergency care for many years, I saw the impacts that deaths and injuries had on families like mine.  These experiences compelled me to do something to prevent other families from suffering.  Being at CDC where so many people are dedicated to preventing these kinds of tragedies gives me an opportunity to ensure that fewer families will experience such loss and disruption.