What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen by Kate Fagan
In What Made Maddy Run, ESPN columnist and author of The Reappearing Act, Kate Fagan, tells the story of the life and tragic death of Madison Holleran. Madison was a high school soccer and track star who went on to run at the University of Pennsylvania. From the outside, Madison appeared to be an all-star athlete with a beaming personality; one whom people assumed had everything. Her Instagram account was full of perfect pictures and positive quotes to further support this assumption. However, as Fagan describes in this heart wrenching story, the girl who was highly successful prior to transitioning to college, was crushed with the high stakes and demanding expectations during this transition. Nothing made sense any longer. The high school star fell ill to feelings of depression and living up to her sense of perfectionism, ultimately dying by suicide in January 2014.
Suicide is a topic that many struggle to talk about, let alone write about respectfully. I appreciate Fagan’s honesty about her search for answers while researching Madison’s story. I also appreciate the fact that much of the book highlights the question of “why” Madison took her life versus the many times sensationalized “how.” Fagan likens the answer to the “why” question to “rivers that merge and create a powerful current. And we can’t fully know why they all merged, right then, right there, around Maddy.” Even so, Fagan attempts to explore this question as it relates to Madison, her own experiences, and society as a whole. The Holleran family’s willingness to allow Fagan access to Madison’s phone and computer provided insight into some of the issues that are perpetuated through social media and the false expectations that are placed on individuals to look happy and important. What Made Maddy Run is not a book about placing blame on the untimely death of a promising young woman, while it definitely could have gone that way. No, it is much more an exploration of the life of seemingly happy and healthy young people, the pressures they face and the mask which a good Instagram post provides.
What Made Maddy Run is important because it encourages the conversation about depression and suicide in young people while considering the real and ongoing pressures that social media can create. Unfortunately, these pressures are many times minimized by older generations because on paper, life should be easier today. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death by individuals age 15-24 in the United States (2015). As Fagan points out, colleges are recognizing the magnitude of mental health needs in their students and many are adding services in response. Hopefully, the story of Madison Holleran will continue this conversation and help individuals, schools and mental health professionals to better understand individuals dealing with depression and the stress that social media can place on young people today.
Jonathan Ecker, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who helps individuals to overcome depression and stress. His office is located in Oak Park, IL.
