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Va. lawmaker stabbed by son urges mental health reform
Va. lawmaker stabbed by son urges mental health reformLiz Szabo, USA TODAY 10:42 a.m. EDT September 4, 2014
WASHINGTON – A Virginia lawmaker, who said his world "changed forever" when his son stabbed him before committing suicide in November, called on Congress Thursday to repair the nation's crumbling mental health system to prevent more tragedies.
"We cannot afford to wait for another crisis or tragedy," said Virginia state senator Creigh Deeds, who spoke to 1,700 mental health advocates at the annual meeting of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Washington. "Too many lives have been lost, too many families changed forever."
The Democratic lawmaker, who said he never intended to become a mental health advocate, was leading the call on Congress to address mental health issues.
