You might have found painted rocks with words of inspiration, or a heart perched on a wall or propped in the branches of a tree in Dallas' West End. That was the latest hiding location for "Tiny Evie Rocks."
"It's a reminder to keep going, not to give up on yourself, somebody out there cares about you," Jessica Domigos said. "And also to bring awareness to suicide and mental health."
Domingos and her husband, Michael, started to make and hide "Tiny Evie Rocks" in the community after their daughter, Evie, died by suicide in May 2019. She was just 12 years old.
"She was hilarious," Jessica Domigos said.
"We could sit and talk for hours about music," Michael Domingos said of his daughter.
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The couple said there were signs she needed help: thrown away drafts of suicide notes, trouble with school and a search for her sense of self.
"We took her to the emergency room and they said she didn't have a plan, so they sent her home. All I can say is follow your instincts with your kids. If you think your kid is in danger, you fight," Jessica Domingos said. "Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem."
The Domingos made Tiny Evie Rocks a nonprofit foundation. They hide painted rocks around DFW, hoping to boost the spirits of those who find them, while helping start a conversation to end the stigma about mental health. They also have three rock gardens in North Texas -- in Prosper, Haltom City and Lewisville.
"On our hardest days when we're grieving the most, we'll paint a rock, we'll go hide it and we know we're doing something good for the world," Jessica Domingos said.
"It gave us a purpose through the pain," Michael Domingos said.
They said Evie, the youngest of the couple's 4 children, is always with them.
"I think she's totally guiding all of this," Jessica Domingos said. "She would definitely get a smile out of what we're doing."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741.
