Viviana: I'm raising awareness for the helpline after losing my son to suicide

Viviana lost her son Harrison to suicide in 2021. Now, she wants to raise awareness of how helplines and mental health services can be a lifeline if you’re struggling.

Harrison’s life was full of good stuff - football, mates and support from family, but under the surface he was finding things increasingly tough. The signs that someone is feeling suicidal aren’t always visible, so when Harrison took his own life it was a huge shock to his friends and family, who knew him as a popular and positive twenty year old.

“He was pretty invincible, very popular, clever and good looking. He starred in a show in the local town hall as Danny in Grease and used to play football. He was so charming and everybody loved him because he was just so loving and happy-go-lucky.”

Losing someone to suicide is like no other loss. And after Harrison took his life, Viviana found support through CALM.

“I used CALM after Harrison died. There’s a good section on the website to help you after you’ve lost a loved one to suicide. It helped me join support groups and I also found a lot of useful resources on the website.”

Since then, Viviana’s been finding ways to connect with and help others who might be struggling too - including taking on a Lost Hours Walk and talking about suicide and her story so more people can open up when they feel alone.

“At work we have a weekly update where we feature personal stories. I shared Harrison’s story and I spoke about CALM. We have mental health allies and a wellbeing group, but there’s still so much stigma around suicide. People find it a really difficult subject to talk about.”

Viviana and over 100 of Harrison’s friends and family took part in the fundraising event, Lost Hours Walk, to raise awareness of CALM’s services. It was a chance to celebrate Harrison’s life and do something positive as a community in his memory.

“We wanted to do something positive and uplifting to celebrate Harrison, but also to raise money to support CALM’s services and stop more lives being taken in this way.”

Waiting lists for mental health services can be a barrier to get help when someone needs it most, especially for those dealing with suicidal thoughts. Viviana knows how important the CALM helpline is in bridging the gap.

“It can be difficult to access NHS mental health services quickly, so a helpline can be a first contact to get support. It’s also anonymous and the webchat makes it easier if you don’t like talking on the phone. If you’re struggling, try to get through one more day and keep talking. Ask for help and don’t keep things to yourself.”

Help us to pick up the phone to people like Harrison. This summer, we’re asking you to donate to our helpline and webchat, so we can continue to be there for anyone struggling. Your donation could be life-saving.