Suicide.
It will soon be the 1st year anniversary of my nephews death. It feels more like a few months ago. The days before his death seem more like 5 years ago.
Me and a friend wanted to organise an 80's night and raise money for around this time, due to covid that obviously couldn't happen.

I have to do something, raising awareness and raising money for charities in a loved ones name often helps those who are grieving.

So I will be doing similar to last year, donating a pet portrait, all you have to do is make a donation to Papyrus and make sure you leave your name and not put 'anonymous', and your name will be entered in a draw. The winner will be contacted regards the next step. 

Please can you donate a minimum of £5, thank you.

We have to talk about suicide.

We think of you always Dan.

I'll repost my words from 1 year ago........ 

Suicide
How many times do you scroll past and think it doesn’t apply to you?
I think I probably did.
After losing my nephew to suicide, my family have been trying to make people more aware that this really can happen to anyone at any time and even more shockingly EVEN IF THE PERSON SEEMS HAPPY.
My advice is…. (Obviously teaching your children to talk about feelings when they are young) But also talk about actual suicide, not just mental health around the age of 11/12, before they start secondary school. (On the day Dan left us, a 13 yr old boy also took his own life).
You can’t put the idea of suicide in someone’s head, and who better to talk about this form of death than you the parent, rather than them learning from tv, playground etc. After all we talk openly about other things we can die from such as heart attacks etc.
Plead with them to confide in you if they do find themselves at rock bottom.
Talking openly about it when they are in a healthy mind-set (and are able to absorb it all rationally), there can’t possibly be a better time?
When I posted about Dan on Facebook, and how he decided to leave us, (and how he was out the night before with his Dad smiling away), it unexpectedly became viral and it had 15 thousand shares, that’s how shocking Dan’s story is. Out of the 2.4 thousand comments, two of them stood out to me saying ‘’I’ve just been straight up to talk to my teenager’’. Excellent that was the point of the post. The well wishes are nice, the private messages from strangers giving support were nice, but that was the point.
I’ve since learned of friends who have also experienced loss to suicide (people I’ve friended as a mum so don’t know their history); ‘’My dad did it’’ ‘my uncle did it’’ two people said ‘’my best friend when I was young did it’’ ‘’I tried to achieve this a few months ago’’ ‘’my friend did this last month’’ ‘’a close family member tried’’. You get the point, I learned that it is really quite common.
At Dan’s funeral, it was so packed not everyone could fit in the church, did he realise how much he was loved?? His best friend was so brave to get up and talk, I’ll never forget that. Dan’s Dad got up and paid tribute to his son, making himself speak after being a crumbled mess the days before, and after.
It was amazing how strangers all gave comfort to each other, there is so much love trying to help Dan’s parents right now.
This is really shit, it’s a real problem, it happens…………Please TALK.

Please if you are desperately and unbearably sad, reach out, if you don't get help from that person, reach out to someone else, whatever time of the day!!! xx

PAPYRUS is the national Charity for the Prevention of Young Suicide. Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35 in the UK, in 2018 over 1800 young people took their own lives. PAPYRUS provides confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through their helpline, HOPELINEUK. Every £5 raised can help pay for a life-saving contact to HOPELINEUK. Your donations really are lifesaving, thank you.