A new plaque beneath a crepe myrtle tree that honors the late Frank “Frankie” Indiero Jr. was unveiled May 6 in Miami Lakes.
Nearly a year ago, town officials and Indiero, Jr.’s family planted the tree at a park near Barbara Goleman Senior High School, at Northwest 148th Terrace and Northwest 89th Avenue.
Indiero was 19 when he took his life in 2019. The plaque’s message encourages anyone who is considering self-harm to ‘ask for help to fight another day.’
“It’s important that this is here every day and that this can have some impact on somebody who might be going through something, who might be feeling a certain way, who might be able to look at that and may remember my son and see how vibrant he is, and they see the number and reach out to get help,” Frank Indiero, Sr. said on May 6.
The plaque describes how to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and it encourages those who dial 911 to ask for a crisis intervention team (CIT) officer. Indiero, Sr. was joined by Mayor Manny Cid; Councilman Luis Collazo; Education Advisory Board Chair Hector Abad and Vice Chair Mario Pinera, Jr.
Indiero Jr.’s grandmother Connie Indiero; his sister, Amber Indiero; Aunt Donna Indiero and family friend Charlie Rodriguez were there, too. The Therapy Labs in Miami Lakes sponsored the plaque and provided the photo of Frank Indiero and Mario Pinera, Jr.
If you or someone you know has thoughts of self-harm, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. For more information go to www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.