CINCINNATI — When Christy Edwards woke up on Feb. 12, 2023, she didn't know it would be the last day she'd spend with her husband.
"I knew it was going to be a bad day — tried to distract him with, you know, Super Bowl Sunday. We were gonna have a friend over ... he was cooking," Edwards said. "I could see it all day that it just, I wasn't gonna be able to get him out of it."
Chad Everett Edwards, a Marine Corps veteran, died by suicide that night.
Christy is sharing the story publicly for the first time, hoping to help other military families struggling with PTSD and to provide hope for veterans seeking a path forward.
"I cleaned everything that was left of my husband, and I talked to him the whole time," Edwards said. "I told him I didn't understand, but I forgave him, and I still loved him."
Watch our conversation with Edwards here:
Edwards will share her story again as part of the USA Cares Heroes Breakfast in Hamilton in November, continuing her mission to support other families facing similar challenges.
Since that tragic night, Edwards has focused on healing with her children while keeping Chad's memory alive.
"We constantly still talk about their father, talk about the good times, even when my kids are having hard days, you know, they will call us. Having that closeness and being able to support each other is the most important thing," Edwards said.
Through her grief, Edwards has gained a deeper understanding of her husband's struggles.
"It wasn't just PTSD from the Marine Corps," Edwards said. "I think he had a lot of just PTSD from life as well."
She believes he never got the opportunities he deserved.
"(I) just really think he just got tired of just being told no. Got tired of just trying to figure something else out," Edwards said.
Now, Edwards and her business partners plan to hire more veterans for construction jobs, giving them opportunities to find purpose and pride in their work.
"We want to be able to give a veteran an opportunity to be able to do something that they love and they can feel proud about," Edwards said.
Through USA Cares, Edwards also hopes to connect Tri-State veterans with the resources and camaraderie they need.
Edwards remains grateful for the 17 years she shared with Chad and draws strength from his memory as she moves forward.
"He was the strongest, most fearless human being I ever knew, but so compassionate, so loving," Edwards said.
Her decision to share her story comes from a belief that openness can help others while also helping her heal.
"We do need to share these things so that we can help the next person," Edwards said. "And it's helping me to get it out, instead of just holding it in all the time."
Edwards will be the guest speaker at the USA Cares Heroes Breakfast in Hamilton next month. You can find out more through the flyer below.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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