In this emotionally charged YouTube excerpt, Elizabeth Munoz shares the tragic story of her 19‑year‑old goddaughter Brianna, a bright honors graduate who struggled with family conflict, financial debt, and isolation during the COVID era. Munoz recounts how Brianna confided in her about a $5,000 debt, how Munoz’s own burnout and new business distracted her from noticing warning signs, and how Brianna eventually disappeared and was later identified in the morgue. Overcome with guilt, Munoz vows to never let another young woman slip through unnoticed and urges the audience to pay close attention to the mental‑health pressures faced by young women, framing it as a collective responsibility for suicide prevention. The segment concludes with brief audience reactions that praise Munoz’s delivery and emotional resilience.
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I'm Elizabeth. How many of you know a radiant, young, beautiful, amazing girl who is just full of life, brilliant, and ready to take on the world? Yeah, and that was my goddaughter Brianna. She was 19 years old, graduated with honors during COVID She was living with us because she was having some problems with her stepdad. And, uh, when things started to open up, we encouraged her to go and take a job as a lifeguard so she could make friends because she didn't have any. And I wanted her to have friends. And so she started hanging out, started doing a lot of shopping, and didn't think a lot of it. One day she comes to me and she's like, I really need to talk to you. And she's in tears. And I'm like, what's going on? And at this time I was starting my business, trying to work through— I had experienced my burnout from corporate. So I was going through a lot and I had just had my daughter. So I wasn't really paying attention like I should have. I didn't see the signs. So she said, I got myself in a lot of debt. And I said, how much is a lot? And she said, $5,000. And I kind of laughed. Girl, we've all been there. It's okay. I didn't realize this pressure of being too much and not enough that we all carry as women is even stronger in our young girls. And we just dismiss it because we don't think they're carrying it, but the societal expectations that are placed on them are just so powerful that if we don't pay attention, they can easily get lost. And that's what happened. So I'm on my way back from visiting my other goddaughter in LA. And I remember I was meditating and I wake up and I'm crying and I just felt like something hit me. And my husband said, what's wrong? I didn't know. I had no idea at the time. We get home, I'm like, where's Brianna? She wasn't there. I thought maybe she went to go visit her mom. The next day she's not home. She never didn't come home. So I call her mom. Her mom comes over. I sent her a text message, and I didn't even realize what I sent her, but it was, Brianna, let us know you're alive if you are. We end up calling the cops. They come, they don't leave.
3 hours later, we get there.
They walk up and they're on the phone, and they say, we have the morgue, and they want you to come identify Brianna's body.
And it was her. And I vowed in that moment, this guilt that I had because I was too busy to see what was going on and how much she was suffering, and I vowed I was never gonna let that happen to another girl if I could help it. And so I ask you all, rise with me and make sure you're paying attention because if we don't pay attention, we'll lose them.
We have a responsibility.
Thank you.
How do you get to the end of that point where you're almost, you know, down the line, or you lose it, but you were holding it, which was amazing and very powerful story. Nice, very nice delivery.
Thank you.
You chose the right story. Yeah, you did that powerfully. There was a moment there where I was like, she break, and you didn't. Like he said, you surfed that line so powerfully, and you brought us down there in those tears, and then you were able to bring yourself back up.
