There are some moments you never forget, and for Alli Skrbek, that will always be the moment she read a message informing her that her eldest son had taken his life. While she was unable to save him, she’s on a mission to break the stigma around depression and to urge others to seek help when they need it.
As a mom-of-four, Skrbek of Prescott Valley, Arizona, knows when her children are unwell or unhappy. Over the last year, she saw many of those signs in her eldest son, Alex Fornerod, but there was no way of knowing just how much he was struggling.
He was facing many internal battles, but Skrbek told Newsweek that she “thought he was doing really well.”
Four years ago, Fornerod moved to Florida with his grandparents and he “started getting into trouble.” As a result, he moved back in with his mom for six months and she was very concerned by what she saw.
“He would get angry, accuse us of doing things (like talking about him, taking his wallet or keys), and he became very paranoid,” Skrbek said.
Skrbek and her husband assumed his behavior was caused by alcohol and tried to address that. Nonetheless, Fornerod convinced them he was fine and that he’d ease up on the drinking.
“Something shifted in Alex, and he wasn’t the same. He was always angry, agitated, or drunk. We thought it was alcohol—we didn’t know he was struggling with depression,” she said.
Major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting over 22.5 million adults in the U.S. This accounts for more than 8 percent of the adult population, according to statistics from Mental Health America.
People with depression experience persistent sadness, lose pleasure and interest in activities they once enjoyed, become irritable, feelings of guilt or hopelessness, and in some instances, thoughts of suicide. Mental Health American suggests that 5.2 percent of U.S. adults experience suicidal thoughts.
While it may not always seem like it, depression is treatable. Most commonly with antidepressants, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. Early treatment is more effective, and the majority of those who received treatment showed vast improvements.
But despite help being available, over 28 million adults with mental illness have not received any treatment.
Seeing her son go through that was so hard for Skrbek, who said it was “hard to watch.” She wanted to help, but he was convinced he didn’t have a problem.
The Final Holiday Together
Shortly after, he moved out without telling anyone and got a new job. He’d finally got back on track, or so Skrbek thought. He told her that he wasn’t drinking much and when she went to visit, he seemed well.
But after moving in with his aunt and three cousins in November 2024, Fornerod’s behavior spiraled. He started taking cocaine and nitrous oxide, though his mom had no idea.
When Christmas 2024 swung around, he returned home for the holidays. It’s always been the family’s favorite time, and it was wonderful to have everyone back together.
“During that visit, he hardly drank and we laughed like old times. He was very loving—that was my son. He always had such a beautiful heart and deep love for his brothers and his momma. It was so nice to have happy Alex again,” Skrbek continued.
She captured a wonderful moment of her eldest son joking around with his younger brothers. They were just playing around, but it meant the world for Skrbek to see her son happy.
She never could have imagined that would be one of the last times her boys would be together.
“The Thursday before he took his life, he said he was going to move back to his friend’s house. He was having problems with his cousins. They partied too much, and he needed to get away from it,” she said.
On March 30, Skrbek received a text from her eldest son that read: “I’m so thankful I have you. I love you mom.”
That was the last time she’d ever hear from him, because on March 31, he shot himself at the age of 22. His body was discovered the following day.
Looking at her phone on April 1, Skrbek was in “complete shock” when she read a message that said her son had killed himself.
How could this be real? She thought he was doing so well.
The Aftermath of Her Son’s Death
When Skrbek was given access to her late son’s phone, she realized he’d been living in a completely different world to what he portrayed. He was doing drugs, drinking heavily, and behaving recklessly with his gun.
Skrbek told Newsweek: “Alex was clearly crying out for help. He wrote notes on his phone talking about his life and how angry he was. He kept that side very hidden, so we had no idea the last four months of his life was so dark.”
While grieving her son’s life, Skrbek is determined to raise awareness by creating a platform on TikTok (@alli_mom). She posts about his experience, what people can do if they need help, and how her family is coping.
On May 18, she shared the video of her sons playing together last year, showing how he appeared perfectly fine while battling depression. The video has gone viral with over 12.3 million views and 943,800 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Not only does that video warm Skrbek’s heart, but it also breaks it.
Skrbek struggles with anxiety and feels like part of her is missing. Knowing she can never hug or speak to her son is a loss unlike any other. Her younger sons are aged 13, 8, and 20 months, and they’re all processing the grief differently. From anger, breaking down, to closing themselves off, she’s having to help them through it all.
“We don’t have enough awareness surrounding depression and suicide,” she said. “My son was not happy when he took his life—he was angry. Many think suicide is a choice, but it’s not. My son just wanted the pain to stop.
“Had I known that would be the last time I’d hug my son, or known he was struggling with depression, there are so many things I would go back and change. I’d like to portray that life is fragile. If someone is struggling, please reach for help.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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