How Tegan Titze’s Light keeps shining in Mitchell

MITCHELL, S.D. (KELO) — Tegan Titze of Mitchell had an imagination that made an impression on people.

“He was a really creative kid,” Tegan’s sister Laney Titze of Mitchell said. “I think that’s the number one thing that people always told us when they would talk about him, is his creativity.”

“Even with his Legos and stuff,” said Tegan’s father Mike Titze, also of Mitchell. “He wouldn’t even build what the box showed. He’d make something completely different, and he’d use every piece.”

His heart left an impression, too. Just ask his buddy Dylan Putnam of Mitchell.

“He never spoke ill of anyone … you could go up to him about anything, and he’d help,” Putnam said.

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Tegan died by suicide in February. He was 15 years old: a freshman in high school. His sister implores anyone else who might be struggling to know there are people who care.

“Find someone who you can trust and talk to them because that’s really what Tegan needed,” she said. “He needed to talk to someone. He tried to hold it in, and he just felt he couldn’t share what he was feeling.”

After Tegan’s passing, his family started a nonprofit organization called Tegan’s Light.

“Tegan’s Light is not only a celebration of him, but it’s an opportunity for us to be able to help other people in honor of him,” Laney Titze said. “And so with the nonprofit, what we are doing is we are raising money for scholarships to help students get into counseling. But also we’re helping raise scholarship money for those going into welding because that’s a way to honor him is that he just wanted to be a welder when he grew up, and so we want to help other kids pursue their dreams in honor of my brother.”

As it turns out, Tegan’s Light keeps shining. One way comes from his family putting his face on a hoodie.

“As we still wear them out and about, people ask us, ‘What’s that about,’ and we tell our story, and before we know it, they’re telling stories about their experiences and stuff,” Mike Titze said. “So that’s kind of what we want to do is get people to start opening up and get rid of the stigma.”

While they work to reduce the stigma that still surrounds a mental health crisis, they’re memorializing a son, brother and friend.

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“I miss him every day,” Putnam said. “Every single day. There’s not a day I don’t think about him.”

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988; you can also start a chat with it.

Tegan’s family will be at the finish line celebration in Sioux Falls for the upcoming 437 Project, a run across South Dakota to raise money for and awareness of mental health resources. KELOLAND’s Dan Santella is one of the dozen runners crossing the state.