Bailey’s Story

Trigger warning: This post discusses death and suicide

With broken hearts, we announce that our beloved friend, talented writer, and tireless mental health advocate, Bailey Koch, along with her husband and two teenage sons, has passed away. (Read more from News Channel Nebraska)

Bailey was a longtime contributor to Her View From Home; her words appeared on this site in its infancy, and her bright spirit and unflinching honesty endeared her to us—and so many of you.

Bailey’s husband, Jeremy, survived multiple suicide attempts over the years, and they were not afraid to talk about it. Mental health awareness and advocacy became Bailey’s public purpose; she started a page called Anchoring Hope for Mental Health to give that passion a voice.

She wrote with striking honesty about battling the stigma surrounding mental health—about what it looked like to face it head-on and fight for something better. She pushed us to see the human side of mental illness, how its ravages came with both unspeakable pain and unyielding hope. She challenged us to resist casting blame, to consider the complexity of a brain battling the disease. Sometimes—often—what she wrote was difficult to read . . . but we always did. And she loved nothing more than hearing from a reader who took her words, their story, to heart—and was changed.

Bailey learned how to use words to paint a realistic picture of the complicated fight for mental health. She believed it was about much more than medication or therapy or walks for suicide prevention; Bailey believed change happens through raw, unflinching truth-telling. It’s why she invited us all into her family’s story, time and time again.

And Bailey had an incredibly beautiful family—a husband she called her “hottie hubby,” and two brilliant, bright boys. She held a doctorate in special education and made a difference as a creative and dedicated educator. She trusted God and His plan. She gave the best hugs. She never met a stranger. She never let silence win.

Bailey would be the first to tell you her story is not an easy one to hear. But the world needs it.

We are honored to share it.

As we grieve, we know Bailey would want just that one thing from us—to keep sharing her story. To speak for her, because of her.

So, we will.

We’ll let her words on mental health and perseverance and faith be her legacy.

As she liked to say, mental illness does not win. Hope does.

We’ll take it from here, Bailey. We love you.

Anchoring Hope for Mental Health

Read Bailey’s work on Her View From Home

“Never Alone” by Bailey and Jeremy Koch

Beyond the Headlines: Bailey’s Story

If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health or having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.