James Donaldson says Tyler Hilinski helped him find his way back
COUGFANCOM
AFTER A SERIES of setbacks spanning his health, business and personal life, James Donaldson tells KING5's Chris Daniels he battled depression, and also contemplated and planned a suicide attempt. Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski's suicide had a profound impact on him, and helped him find his way back.
The 7-foot-2 Donaldson had emergency heart surgery in 2015. Despite having health insurance for former NBA players, out-of-pocket medical expenses still took a toll. He lost his mother around the same time, his wife and stepson moved out of the house and his business collapsed. And Donaldson began to think about suicide.
“All of this put me in a deep, dark scary place for a long time,” Donaldson says in the story.
Hilinski's suicide in January 2018 shook Donaldson "to the core."
“That resonated with me in such a way. One, that’s my alma mater. Two, I was a student-athlete walking the campus. (It) shook me to the core. I’ve gotta get out of this thing,” he said.
"Therapy and friends helped him out of the darkness, and forge a new path," says the article.
Today, the 61-year-old Donaldson says he has newfound perspective, something that will serve him well if he is successful in his bid to be elected to the Seattle City Council.
“I’ve decided to run for Seattle City Council, I live right here in District 7,” says Donaldson. “We now have got some big problems, especially with homelessness, drug addictions, opioid problems, needles everywhere.
“We need more and more caseworkers, engaging with these people working with tents.”
Donaldson, a member of both the WSU and Pac-12 sports halls of fame, spent 14 years in the NBA, scoring more than 8,000 points and 7,000 rebounds and grabbing an All-Star nod in 1988. He remains the benchmark by which all other 7-footers are measured at Washington State.
He has made Seattle -- the first stop in his long pro career -- his home since 1980.
