SYNOPSIS

What's Left Behind: A Journey from Pain to Purpose, a documentary series created by Gregory Magras on his own journey of loss and healing, captures the difficult journeys of those who have lost loved ones to suicide and those who have survived suicide ideations, featuring unique emotional narratives.

What's Left Behind: A Journey from Pain to Purpose challenges stigmas around suicide by revealing the raw experiences of grief and guilt, while also highlighting the importance of support, mental health interventions, and accessible resources for viewers.

Ultimately, What's Left Behind: A Journey from Pain to Purpose aims to spark critical, open conversations about suicide and healing. By collaborating with support groups and mental health professionals, the series seeks to give viewers the tools to recognize, address, and better understand this widespread public health crisis.

THE CREATOR

One morning, Gregory faced a terrible tragedy. His father had died by suicide, and Gregory was just 18 years old. Many years later, Gregory got a call that his oldest daughter, Jamie, was missing. He flew out right away, but learned that she too had died by suicide.

Deeply affected and moved by the pain of his loss, Gregory created this project to help people affected by suicide find connection, healing, and new purpose through support and shared stories.

“I created this series because I want people to find hope in others' stories,” Gregory explained. “If we can’t at least try to be the beacon to so many that have lost their way, then what are we all here for?”

By sharing his own and others' stories, Gregory hopes communities, families, and individuals can start talking about suicide openly. He wants people to be able to mourn and celebrate those they have lost, without feeling it is a taboo subject.

"This is my legacy. Although I have found my way through grief, I feel that my journey is not unique to me and want to open up a discussion about how others, through their pain, can live with hope, understanding, and love.

Through this series, I have found a greater sense of community and love, and I believe our viewers - whether they have lived through the enormity of suicide or not - will find compassion and understanding through the extraordinary stories we will share."

Gregory Magras

Creator | Executive Producer

APPROACH

Through personal interviews, b-roll, archival media, and observational footage with family, friends, and other survivors of those who have completed suicide, What's Left Behind: A Journey from Pain to Purpose will share the heartache and purpose many have found after losing someone in such a horrific way.

Through the stories left behind by those who are no longer with us, we hope that the audience will be touched by the openness of our participants and find some resilience in the strength and legacy they are providing for their loved ones.

This series is about how we transform pain into purpose and learn to live with the memories and understanding of what's left behind.

EPISODES

Each episode is structured around a specific aspect of what's been "left behind" within different families or communities whose unimaginable loss has driven them to help others and create a lasting legacy for their loved ones. The narrative follows how those left behind deal with grief, find ways to heal, and seek hope when all feels lost. Each story is guided by the unique experiences and perspectives of the participants, showing how this issue is diverse in many ways. The last episode pulls all the stories together providing resources and hopeful solutions to wrap up the series.

WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND - IN PAIN

The Johnson Family lost their son, Kyle, in 2018 to suicide at only 19 years old after he claimed to have struggled with mental health issues for over ten years of his life. Honoring Kyle’s final wishes to promote the importance of seeking help, they have created the KyleCares foundation. Through this foundation, they are dedicated to connecting with educational facilities across New England, inspiring hope, and raising awareness about mental health.

WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND - IN SERVICE

When addressing the wellness of our military forces, have we truly recognized the lasting correlation between war and suicide? Are our veterans currently receiving the help they need and deserve? Reflecting on his experience, Dave Gambone describes the horror he faced as he lost 12 soldiers to suicide, highlighting the ongoing, harsh reality of battling mental health issues within our military.

WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND - IN COMMUNITY

LGBTQ+ youth often face harassment, rejection, and discrimination, which contribute to higher rates of suicide within the community. Many share their experiences specifically to raise awareness and promote suicide prevention, aiming to address the ongoing mental health crisis they endure.

WHAT'S LEFT BEHIND - IN VIRTUAL SPACES

A view into how social media consumption impacts individuals' perceptions of self, particularly in young people, and what is being done to help combat feelings of inadequacy and isolation in a world that is merely virtual. This episode explores the para-social relationship between people and their devices, highlighting how it may affect their mental health.

WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND - IN PURPOSE

Attorney Joseph Feaster shares his story, starting with his own son's struggles with mental health. After losing his son, Feaster felt driven to make a difference. Now, he spends his time and resources encouraging others to focus on mental health within their organizations, just as they would any other type of illness, hoping to help prevent others from experiencing the same kind of loss.

WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND - IN FAITH

How does one’s faith change after the suicide of a loved one? In this episode, we examine the complex roles of religion and spirituality in providing care for the bereaved, both immediately after loss and over time. Rev. Dr. Robert D. Flanagan introduces a new perspective on how faith intersects with grief, guilt, and hope, and addresses one of the most complicated questions for believers: Why do bad things happen to good people?

WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND - IN EXPRESSION

One morning, Zoe Aucoin woke up feeling like she didn’t belong anywhere. Struggling with depression and loss, she tried to end her life. While she was in the hospital, the person who understood her pain best—her father—stayed by her side and held her hand as she recovered. Since then, Zoe and her father have supported each other and learned to cope with their pain together. Zoe also discovered her passion for art. She now shares her deepest feelings by creating tattoos that help transform the lives of others.

WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND - IN ANSWERS

As we wrap up this series, we focus on the people working directly in communities across America to address the rising suicide crisis. Doctors, mental health specialists, and lawmakers are all involved, but millions of families still have questions. Where can they find answers? Our team of experts may not have every solution, but we are asking the important questions now so that everyone can start to see suicide as one of today’s top health crises.

WHY WE NEED YOU

What's Left Behind: A Journey from Pain to Purpose carries an important message, and we need your support to get it into the world. Over the next year, the money raised will go towards production and traveling costs for the filming of these eight episodes. Any contribution is greatly appreciated and we thank you for your support in helping us share such impactful stories. Follow and share What's Left Behind on Facebook and @whatsleftbehind2026 on Instagram to stay up to date with our project and to help spread the word!