Dese'Rae L. Stage

Dese'Rae L. Stage is an American photographer, writer, speaker, and suicide awareness activist. She created Live Through This, a multimedia series of portraits and true stories of nearly 200 suicide attempt survivors across the United States.

Background Stage was born in Miami, Florida. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from East Tennessee State University, and is currently studying for her MSW.

Stage survived two suicide attempts: one as a teenager, and one in 2006, at the end of an abusive relationship with a partner. These experiences propelled her to begin work on Live Through This in 2010.

In 2019, Congresswoman Susan Wild (PA) invited Stage to take part in a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill called "The Rippling Impact of Suicide", alongside Congresswoman Wild, former NFL player Fred Stokes, and representatives from the suicidology and psychiatry fields. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi provided opening remarks and Mike Schlossberg (PA House of Representatives) moderated the discussion.

Live Through This Live Through This is a series of portraits and true stories of suicide attempt survivors across the United States. Stage launched the project in 2010, and began interviewing attempt survivors and making portraits in 2011. Stage also centers her lived experience of suicidality in her consulting work and collaborations with researchers.

In support of her work with Live Through This, Stage has appeared on Finding Hope: Battling America's Suicide Crisis, a CNN Town Hall with Anderson Cooper; CBS This Morning with Gayle King; Vice News; CBS Evening News and more. Live Through This has received coverage from The New York Times, Upworthy, Time The final episode aired on May 4, 2021.

Personal life Stage lives in Philadelphia. She experienced infertility and underwent both intrauterine insemination, IVF, and a miscarriage before conceiving her daughter. She experienced depression and suicidal thoughts during pregnancy. Her ex-wife, who also experienced infertility, carried their son.

Awards

American Association of Suicidology Transforming Lived Experience Award, 2017 SXSW Community Service Award, 2017 Investigation Discovery's Inspire a Difference Everyday Hero Award, 2017 SAMHSA Voice Award, 2015 Cookie Gant and Bill Compton LGBT Leadership Award, 2014

Filmography Dese'Rae appears as the main character in Lisa Klein's 2017 documentary, The S Word. She also appears in Nate Townsend's 2020 documentary, Wake Up: Stories from the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention.