Please Stay: Lady Gaga's foundation pushing pledge to help prevent suicide
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Lady Gaga's foundation is working to help young people who are struggling with thoughts of suicide and to give them a reason to stay.
A new sign in Times Square reads "This is the sign you've been looking for." It's meant to say, don't die by suicide, please stay.
"When I was struggling, I was looking for a sign, something serendipitous telling me to stay," Please Stay co-creator Ali Borowsky said. "If you're struggling and you see this, it's like, wait, was that put here for me? And the answer is yes."
Borowsky has teamed up with the Born This Way Foundation to keep people alive. It is a pledge and a lifesaver.
Cynthia Germanotta, who started the Born This Way Foundation with her daughter Lady Gaga, explained a CDC study propelled them into the new pledge: COVID isolation has increased suicides and attempts.
"One out of four young people reported having suicide ideation, or wanting to harm themselves and take their lives, this is unacceptable and it's unnecessary," Germanotta said.
So Born This Way started to help and encourage healing with the "Please Stay" pledge.
Doctors and social workers love it. They say absolutely go there and ask if a young person has wanted to hurt themselves.
"I think the pledge is a really helpful way to address that," said Zoey Peresman, a social worker at Mount Sinai.
Part of the pledge asks for an anchor. An anchor is something that makes life worth living.
"For me, it's my cat, I have so many reasons to stay here, and taking the Please Stay pledge might sound small, but when you actually have to put your name down and take that action, it changes something in your brain," said Taylor Parker with the Born This Way Foundation.
Germanotta anchors include family, Central park walks and ballet.
As for Borowsky?
"Steak tacos, lazy Sundays and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."
The goal is to take the pledge and share it as a love letter -- and there's no wrong way to do it.
"My hope, our hope, is that young people will know that they're valued and loved and they will take this pledge and they will stay," Germanotta said.
Click here to learn more about the pledge.
If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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