Dad Bod Summer Salutes Jarren Duran: A Mental Health Message from Mikey Parisano

Dad Bod Summer Salutes Jarren Duran: A Mental Health Message from owner Mikey Parisano

As the founder of Dad Bod Summer and a lifelong Phillies fan, I never thought I'd be writing a blog applauding a player from the Boston Red Sox. But today, I’m doing exactly that. I want to give a standing ovation to Jarren Duran, not for what he did on the field this week, but for what he shared with the world off of it. His raw honesty in the new Netflix docuseries “The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox” shook me to my core. In the episode, Duran opened up about the mental health struggles that led to his 2022 suicide attempt. When I read the headline “Jarren Duran Suicide Attempt” and then saw the phrase “Jarren Duran attempts suicide” trending on Google, I was hoping it was a misprint. But it wasn’t. And instead of running from that truth, Duran leaned into it with courage and vulnerability.

In the docuseries that airs on Netflix, Jarren Duran explained how he hit rock bottom after not living up to the expectations that came with being one of baseball’s top prospects. The pressure from fans, media, and most of all, himself, became unbearable. The emotional weight pushed him to the edge. And yet, here he is. Still standing. Still swinging. He said he chose to tell his story to “reach those who feel alone.” That line hit me like a fastball to the chest.

I started Dad Bod Summer in the summer of 2021 during a fishing trip with my good friend, Ray. It was one of those brutally hot days where we barely caught anything but still laughed for hours. And in the middle of those laughs, we started talking about the hard stuff, real life, real emotions, and the mental toll that being a man can sometimes take. That’s where the idea was born. I wanted to create a brand that was more than cool fishing shirts and performance golf hoodies. I wanted to build a space for guys to feel safe, be seen, and speak up. I wanted to create a Men’s Mental Health Awareness Brand.

Every product we sell, from our “This is Me Talking About Mental Health” shirt to our “I Peaked In Little League” shirt, is a reminder that mental health matters. And with each purchase, we donate 5% of proceeds to charities that support Men’s Mental Health Awareness. But beyond donations, we exist to shift the conversation, to normalize it. Stories like Jarren Duran Mental Health matter. They help us do that.

As someone who’s fought personal battles with anxiety, depression, and self-doubt, I know how difficult it is to open up. You tell yourself you’re being dramatic. You compare your pain to someone else’s. You keep quiet because that’s what you think you’re supposed to do. But when a professional athlete like Duran publicly shares the depths of his pain, saying things like “I didn’t want to be here anymore”, he's not just talking to a camera. He’s talking to the guy staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m., the dad who can’t tell his family he’s struggling, the teenager who thinks he has to “man up” and bury his feelings. He’s telling them it’s okay to talk.

Jarren Duran Suicide headlines might seem dark, but the light is what matters. The fact that he’s still here, still playing, still advocating, that’s the story we need to amplify. The stigma around mental health won’t vanish overnight. But with every conversation, every vulnerable blog post, and every badass baseball player brave enough to speak out, we chip away at it. Even if that badass baseball player is a Red Sox and not a Phillies!

Baseball is more than a sport. It’s about fathers and sons. Moms and daughters. It’s about weekends at the ballpark and Little League memories that last a lifetime. At Dad Bod Summer, we just launched our “I Peaked In Little League” shirts because honestly, most of us did, and we’re proud of it. 

We’ve built a brand rooted in fun, authenticity, and self-expression, but beneath that, we’re a brand with a mission. When people search for terms like Jarren Duran Suicide, Jarren Duran attempts suicide, or Jarren Duran Mental Health, they’re not just looking for news. They’re looking for connection. They’re looking for hope. And if we can offer that, through a shirt, a blog, or just a story, then we’re doing our job.

To Jarren: thank you. You’ve reminded the world that being a man isn’t about being silent. It’s about being strong enough to speak. You didn’t just save your own life, you’re going to save others. From one guy who knows what it’s like to feel broken to another: you’re a hero.

And to anyone reading this who feels like they’re slipping: talk to someone. Email me at DadBodSummer@gmail.com if you need to get some things off of your chest. You’re not alone. You're never alone.

Mikey Parisano, Founder of Dad Bod Summer

Support Men's Mental Health Awareness by purchasing our #1 selling Mental Health Shirt. 5% of the proceeds of this sale are donated to charities that support Men's Mental Health Awareness.

Click the link here “This is Me Talking About Mental Health” Shirt