Clovis man uses Halloween decorations to bring attention to mental health

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Clovis man is using his Halloween display to send a message.

This year, Michael Gallego is handing out more than candy. He's also providing literature from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Gallegos' 31-year-old son, Scott, died in July after suffering in silence for years.

Scott struggled with mental illness and used alcohol to cope.

"He died of cirrhosis, he drank himself to death," said Gallegos. "I look at pictures now and see his sad eyes when he was young, I wish we could have changed it. I wish we would have known."

Now, he is using his lights to shine a spotlight on mental health and the resources that are available.

The family hopes the Halloween display will come to symbolize taking care of your mental health.

They say sadly it's too late for their loved one -- but it doesn't have to be for yours.

If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis, help is easy to find. You can call or text 988 to talk to someone around the clock.