Memorial announcement for a devoted fan of the metal scene

[violentspew]

Heavy metal's biggest fan of all time was Brittany Rachelle Byam,
Born June 5, 1990,taken too soon on April 14, 2011.
Brittany was a hardcore fan of metal, she loved Type O Negative, Dio, Black Sabbath,Metallica,
and was such a devoted Pantera fan she got a memorial tattoo on her lower back for Dimebag Darryl, complete with yellow roses!
Brittany was a model for www.bloodymessygirls.com, and also was an organizer for "Synerfest" a local event in Columbus, Ohio.
Metal music was an integral part of Brittany's life, and all metal fans should know of their beautiful sister's passing.

She was brilliant,creative,warm, outgoing, and caring.
Anyplace she went was changed instantly with her arrival, somehow brightened by her amazing spirit and stunning beauty.
She was, and always will be a point of light in this universe.
In memoriam, friends of Brittany Rachelle Byam are purchasing a rose garden at a local park, as well as a star in her name with the national star registry, so that all may look to the night sky and be reminded of her immense contribution to the lives of those she has left behind, a little bit broken, and a whole lot empty.
April 14, because she apparently felt she had no alternative, Brittany took her own life.
Her 21st birthday was to be June 5th, 2011.
Under two years ago she had never done drugs or even touched a drop of alcohol.
It was a shock to all who loved her it happened so fast.

Please show your loved ones the attention they deserve.
Let's not lose one more friend or family member to drugs or suicide.
Also know if you are considering suicide, you'll hurt so many more people than you think.
Brittany Byam left hundreds of broken hearts with her passing.
For you it may feel like escape, for the ones you leave behind it is tragedy, nightmare, a lifetime of pain and regrets.
For her friends it is a hole we will never fill, a pain nothing can kill, a switch that has turned off the sun.
Whoever you are, whatever your situation, life is a precious gift, live for YOU, enjoy every minute!
Know YOU ARE IMPORTANT!
And let those important to you know how much so they really are!
Rock on Brittany, our precious metal baby!

 

[violentspew]

Some clarity here: My girlfriend actually typed the original message, as she was closer with Brittany than I, and asked me to post it all over the place, in hopes of sharing her story and memory with fellow metalheads everywhere, and possibly helping someone else to not make the choice she made. I have learned in the last several days a lot of the crap she was dealing with (which I won't divulge in detail, but included physical abuse, depression, and eventual drug abuse) which led her down that dark path. Unfortunately, she reached her breaking point, and could not reach out to a friend for help.