Mum lends her support
Dr Ros Worthington and Misty Calder are urging others to step out of the shadows and share their stories. Picture: Jon Gellweiler
Article originally published on South Western Times
PHILANTHROPIST and passionate suicide prevention advocate Dr Ros Worthington visited the South West last week to launch Stepping Out of the Shadows.
The Statewide campaign is the first of its kind and has been touring parts of WA for the past five weeks to help break down the stigma associated with speaking out about suicide and to raise muchneeded money for Lifeline WA.
“The idea came from me, it was my desire to have as many people as possible to step out of the shadows to talk about their lived experience of suicide,” Dr Worthington said.
“There is still a stigma attached to it, there is no shame and this is what we shout from the rooftops as we go around and talk to people.
“I believe that we are the first – almost like an advocacy group that are stepping out – that has done this.”
Through the Stepping Out of the Shadows campaign, Dr Worthington is urging all West Australians to be a lifeline for Lifeline WA by donating $10, with hopes to raise $1 million before Christmas, enabling them to save more lives.
“Lifeline struggles financially,we don’t have enough volunteers to man the phones so it is quite serious,we need to raise that money,”she said.
“We want Lifeline to stay there because it is the only 24/7 service that we have and if we didn’t have them it would be terrible because we get thousands of calls and volunteers are talking people down from suicide every day – they are saving lives.
”After tragically losing her husband 15 years ago to suicide, Dr Worthington resolved to turn her own personal pain into power, creating the Glimmer of Hope book,founding the Black Diamond Ball to raise money and the Out of the Shadows walk, which is now held in 55 towns across the country.
“Every four hours someone is taking their life and you never know if it’s going to be someone you know and love – my husband was 51, his emotional pain became too great and so he left us and left a big hole in our family,” she said.
“A lot of people don’t know what to say still – so we need to talk about it, we need to be open. If we just save one person’s life then we’ve done a great job and that’s how I see it.
“Suicide is not the answer, we are saying ask for help, reach out, stop and think that little bit more, there is always someone there with a hand if you reach out – you’re never alone, you just need to pick up the phone and ring Lifeline.”
The campaign will be visiting Geraldton, Newman and Karratha in the coming weeks.
Mum lends her support
A GRIEVING mother is lending her voice, pain and story to the Stepping Out of the Shadows campaign.
Misty Calder’s world was dramatically turned upside down last year when she received the call no mother ever wants – her 17-year old son Sunee had taken his own life.
Fifteen months on, the brave mother-of-six is stepping out with Dr Ros Worthington to share her grief with others adding strength to the Statewide campaign.
“Fifteen months ago we lost our son, he was 17 years-old and he had everything to live for, he truly did,” she said.
“I just didn’t know that he was suffering clearly with depression, and the thing that I’ve found is they hide it, they hide it behind the smiles, behind the laughter, their talents and he was so giving.
“I’ve grown to love Ros, the support that she’s given me and how she makes me feel brave and a that with little bit of strength it’s going to be OK – you can see the light in her and where she has been and where she is now gives me hope.”
Ms Calder joined Dr Worthington in Bunbury last week to launch the South West campaign, sharing her heartbreaking story with others.
“I just want other people to reach out, I want parents to ask those hard questions,” she said.
“If he had have just said ‘mum help me’, then we could have done it together – I just don’t want any mother to ever experience this.”
To become a lifeline for Lifeline WA visit www.lifelinewa.org.au.
