Jim and Lawrie Beardsley have been married for 33 years and currently reside in Greensboro, NC. Jim is a retired Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist who now serves as Assistant Professor and Pharmacology Course Director at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Lawrie is a practicing Physical Therapist and is also enrolled in the Master’s in Christian Counseling program at Gordon Conwell Seminary. Jim and Lawrie have been involved in discipleship and mentoring for most of their adult lives, and Jim is a seasoned Bible teacher.

Jim and Lawrie raised three wonderful daughters – Katelyn, Natalie, and Rachel. Tragically Katelyn died by suicide in June 2020 at the age of 26 as she was nearing the end of her training to be a certified nurse anesthetist. Katelyn was a vibrant, authentic, and other-centered follower of Jesus, and so her death was a deep shock to all who knew her.

Since Katelyn’s death, God has opened up a ministry for Jim and Lawrie to come alongside grieving parents and also to advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. They helped establish Run for Joy, a non-profit organization that supports mental health advocacy and wellness for healthcare trainees, and they have spoken nationally on mental health topics.

Contributing author, Held Through the Storm: Stories of Suicide Loss and Hope in Christ (2024)