A mother, Emily Long, who tragically took the lives of her husband and two children, has recently opened up about her struggles and the pressing need for professional help.
In the lead-up to this devastating event, Emily, 34, shared a video on TikTok describing her mental health challenges as her family faced the impending loss of her husband, Ryan Long, who was suffering from terminal glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
“I feel very, very lonely. I feel very uneasy,” she expressed in a video posted just two weeks prior, according to reports.
She acknowledged her need for therapy, stating, “I know I need to meet a therapist, I know I need to ask for help.” Yet she seemed conflicted: “I feel so guilty that I’m not yet ready to get help, but what is it? I know that it will happen someday.”
Emily reflected on her feelings of being emotionally spent, saying she understood that her situation was worsening.
As her husband’s health declined, she appeared to be overwhelmed by the thought of soon becoming a single mother.
“I had to plan on becoming a widow, supporting your family with one income, becoming a single parent of three children,” she said, detailing her struggles to stay optimistic amidst the weight of her responsibilities.
She further expressed, “I’m grieving my husband. I’m grieving my marriage. It’s still there. It’s very confused and very overwhelming,” in a clip shared on the platform.
Authorities reported that Emily shot her husband, Ryan, and their two older children, Parker, 8, and Ryan, 6, early Monday morning.
All four family members were discovered at their home in Madbury, just outside Dover. Their three-year-old child, the only survivor, was found unharmed and is currently being cared for.
While Emily’s death was determined to be a suicide, the others were classified as homicides. Firearms were located near their bodies, according to officials.
In another TikTok shared only two days prior, Emily told her followers that her children had been “undetectably struggling.” She described feeling “really depressed” as her husband’s condition worsened, despite her efforts to establish healthy routines at home.
“I’m determined to create normalcy,” she insisted in her video. “I’m insisting on getting out of depression and doing this for my family,” she added.
If you or someone you know is affected by the issues raised in this story, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-Talk (8255) or the Crisis Textline at 741741.
