He was loved and successful, her husband of 43 years. Eddie was struggling with depression, and Madeleine had encouraged him to take a ride to visit his parents that day. He agreed to go, but while Madeleine was getting ready in another room, Eddie’s mental illness overcame him and cut his life short. On September 9th, 2018, Eddie Burke killed himself with his own gun.
The Decline
In 2008, Eddie was diagnosed with Depression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and began to take medication. He was stable and happy for the next 11 years. “They were the best years of our marriage,” says Madeleine. However, because he felt so good and happy, during the summer of 2018, he decided to go off of his medication. Depression crept in, and he lost interest in his passions.
Eddie was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He hosted his granddaughters each summer for “Pop Camp”, days filled with science expeditions and fun. Madeleine recalls that the last time she remembers her husband being really happy was at their son’s wedding in July, 2018. Eddie was also a beloved science teacher at Barbara Goleman Senior High. He taught and mentored thousands of high school students and preferred to teach students at risk, even after earning his PhD in 2016. But as his depression increased, he applied for short term disability, lacking concentration or motivation to complete his lesson plans.
Madeleine was very concerned about her husband. She was eventually able to get him in to see his psychiatrist, who started him on a new medication and scheduled a follow up visit six weeks later. She tried to find an appropriate hospital placement, but Miami lacks quality inpatient mental health resources. She also took a leave from work herself, in order to be with Eddie while she continued to seek professional help. By the time she found it, she says, “It was too late.” Eddie had repeatedly told Madeleine and others that he was not suicidal and that he “would never do that to his family.” But the dark thoughts of mental illness that overtook him on that fateful day, overshadowed his love for life, family, work, and church.
The Aftermath
The students and fellow-teachers at his school are still missing Dr. Burke’s inspiring teaching and care of them. They created a scrapbook for Madeleine, filled with letters and stories of his impact in their lives. One student, Dario, was forever impacted. Eddie, believed in Dario’s potential when no one else did and even took Dario in to live with the Burkes for a year.
Eddie helped plant two churches in Miami, lead the youth group at church, and played the guitar in the worship team. His pastor, Todd Peterson from The Pulse of Miami Church, says that, “Eddie was a rock in my life. When most people ask to have coffee with me, it’s because they need some counseling. When Eddie would ask for coffee, it was because he wanted to counsel me! Todd and the church have been very supportive of Madeleine after Eddie’s death, but Todd confessed to her, “it is hard to pastor you through this time, since I am grieving with you.” “My husband’s death has devastated me, my family, my church, his students. and all who knew him,” says Madeleine.
Wellspring
Madeleine’s journey of grief this past year has been difficult. She never returned to live in their home where Eddie had died. She lived with friends for a while and then settled into a new place. Her work as a Nurse Practitioner at Baptist Hospital has kept her distracted. “My family and friends have carried me through this time”, says Madeleine. Her children’s grief consumes them as well, affecting all of them at family gatherings.
Counseling at Wellspring has provided dependable support for her as she grieves and makes sense of it all. She says, “my therapist and EMDR have helped me tremendously with the Post Traumatic Stress symptoms”. Wellspring also provided counseling support to Pulse Church as they together grieved the loss of Eddie.
The Importance of Mental Health
Madeleine is slowly moving forward, needing to reimagine and then to create a new, unexpected life. She is beginning to find new sparks of energy through the thought of making a difference in the world by advo- cating for better access to mental health services. “As I have told the story of my husband’s illness and death to others, I was stunned by the realization that nearly every person I spoke with either had suffered from or was related to someone with some form of mental illness. I was also very alarmed at how many resulted in suicide. In processing and attempting to understand Eddie’s suicide, it has become more and more apparent that our community has a severe shortage of resources for mental health.”
Madeleine has now created the “Dr. Edward Burke Financial Aid Fund at Wellspring” to help provide counseling to clients who lack resources. This article is a part of her quest to move forward, because this battle is really in two fronts – awareness of mental illness and resources to help individuals. Wellspring is privileged to come alongside such a strong, loving, articulate, and competent woman, and we are pleased to support her cause to make mental health services accessible.
Watch Madeleine tell her story at our first annual Friendsgiving event:
