Barrington teenager honoring her late friend, raising awareness about suicide

Olivia Deaton planning fund-raiser for her late friend, Devin Costello

By Josh Bickford
Posted 12/7/16

It has been 363 days since Olivia Deaton lost her friend and since Patty Costello lost her daughter.

It has been 363 days since Barrington High School lost a funny, silly girl who loved music and …

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Barrington teenager honoring her late friend, raising awareness about suicide

Olivia Deaton planning fund-raiser for her late friend, Devin Costello

Posted

It has been 363 days since Olivia Deaton lost her friend and since Patty Costello lost her daughter.

It has been 363 days since Barrington High School lost a funny, silly girl who loved music and art, and who could do without exercise, and who was most comfortable wearing a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt from a concert.

It has been 363 days since Devin Costello lost her battle with depression, and took her own life.

Dec. 9 will mark the one-year anniversary of Devin's death, but Olivia and Ms. Costello are hoping to use the painful time of remembrance to shed light on the subject of suicide. Sixteen-year-old Olivia recently established a nonprofit — The Olivia Deaton Foundation in Memory of Devin Costello — and will host a fund-raising dinner in East Providence on Wednesday night, Dec. 14. Olivia said she has plans for any donations she is able to collect.

For starters, she would like to use some of the money to support art therapy and music therapy for teenagers struggling with depression. She said she is also hoping the event will raise awareness about teenage suicide and bring the painful topic out of the shadows and into the light. 

"Devin is my inspiration," said Olivia. "After Devin passed away, I was grieving a lot … but people weren't talking about what happened. There's a stigma that society places on this."

Olivia said she had no idea her friend was struggling with depression. She said Devin was always upbeat around her and others, always trying to make other people feel good.

Ms. Costello said her daughter was different, however, when she was away from friends. She would withdraw into her room and slip on her earphones, tuning out the rest of the world. Ms. Costello said Devin had gone to counseling and had been quietly fighting depression for years.

"She lost interest in life," said Ms. Costello. "She became secluded. She would be invited to something, and go to it, then have to leave."

Ms. Costello said her daughter was "tortured" by her depression, and often worked hard to mask her problems.

"She was an academy award-winning actress," said Ms. Costello. 

Olivia said the Devin she knew stayed positive for her friends.

"She lifted people up," she said. "She inspired me to be more positive."

Olivia can remember talking to Devin shortly before her passing. The two were working together on a group project for school and had planned to meet one night. Devin did not show up.

In school the next day, Olivia and some other students were called down to the guidance office. She said school officials asked her a few questions and then one of the counselors told her the news — Devin had passed away.

Confusion surrounded the news, said Olivia. 

"We didn't know what had happened," she said, adding that rumors swirled about how Devin had died.

"People are so hesitant to talk about mental illness," said Olivia. "It's taboo."

Ms. Costello said she is hoping to help remove the stigma of suicide. She is hoping people will take time to discuss the painful realities that tore through her family and continue to affect others.

"She just got tired of fighting it. She was tired and stressed. Kids are way more stressed than we ever were," said Ms. Costello.

Time has helped dull some of the pain, and community has helped too. Ms. Costello said Devin's friends have helped her move ahead each day. She is so impressed by Olivia and all the work she has done to help memorialize her late friend. 

To mark what would have been her 16th birthday, Devin's friends Lena Crist, Jenna Andreozzi, and Emilio Cuebas got together and wrote her a song. It is called "Pictures" — Izzy Voschullo created accompanying artwork.

"Tosses and turns and tugs

"Green grass and blushed hugs

"Your hair blew gently in the wind

"Laying down in the grass

"our thoughts racing fast

"Flowers get stuck in your hair

"And we keep your photographs

"so we can see you every day

"We carry with us, to remember

"Not to forget while you’re away

"Waves crashing on the shore

"The sun isn’t up much more

"Standing on our own castles

"Your bracelets and torn shirts

"With music you would flirt

"Hello and goodbye again

"Dancing at your favorite concerts

"Letting the music flow through you

"Your happiness, contagious

"Your smile could light the whole room

"We carry with us, to remember

"Not to forget while you’re away"

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