About Us
“Totally Got Out Of Bed” is a project by two non-experts. Toni Plante and Dr. Nora Flom are both ordinary people who have lost loved ones to suicide. They met in a support group for suicide loss provided through Survivor Resources, MN. This project came about because they saw an unmet and growing need for the type of support they experienced through the group. Suicide has taken far too many people, and those left behind struggle to find understanding, peace, and life. Far too few support groups and mental health professionals are available to help cope with loss to suicide. This project is intended to help survivors understand they are not alone, and to help them find tools that might help them along in their own grief journey.
Toni Plante
Toni Plante lost her 15 year old daughter, Ana, to suicide on January 30, 2016. Since then she has advocated for suicide prevention and mental health by raising both money and her voice for the AFSP (American Foundation of Suicide Prevention), SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), The Semi-Colon Project, and others. She is a volunteer facilitator for a suicide support group through Survivor Resources. She is a co-founder of the non-profit organization Mental Health Navigators, a group designed to help the parents and care-givers of kids, teens and young adults experiencing mental health issues. Prior to the pandemic, she authored a monthly column in the Lakeshore Weekly newspaper entitled “Her Story Isn’t Over Yet”, where mental health and Ana’s legacy were the focus of each article. She is determined to fight for suicide prevention efforts ad infinitum. Until there are no more suicides, it will not be time to stop. Toni lives in Minnetonka, MN with her husband and 2 dogs. Her son Leo lives and works in New York City. #herstoryisntoveryet
Dr. Nora Flom
Dr. Nora Flom lost her son Erik to suicide on January 3, 2018, when he was 25 years old. Since then, unlike Toni, Nora has done next to nothing for advocacy and suicide prevention, until now. “In the wake of Erik’s death, I became almost immobilized. I couldn’t read anything, listen to anything, or participate in anything related to suicide, grief, or loss. I always knew that there would come a time when I would be ready to be a voice speaking out about suicide. When the idea for this podcast came about, I knew this was it.” Nora is married to Matthew, a Lutheran pastor. Their other son, Jonathan, lives and works abroad. Nora has been teaching for over 30 years, about 20 of which are at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, MN, where she is the World Language Department Chair and a Spanish teacher. She earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of St. Thomas in 2014. Nora is also a certified spiritual director.
