Jay

Listen to Jay's story, as told by his Mum, Michaela

Jay took his own life five weeks after his 19th birthday so we never got to celebrate his 20th birthday. Javen was our absolute world; we adored him, the youngest of three sons. He was kind, he was caring, he was compassionate—and he had endless friends who meant the world to him, and he meant the world to them.

I was so proud of him, but at 17, life took a little bit of a turn, and Jay started to make some decisions that probably weren't the best. Life became difficult. His friends stuck by him—all 17-year-olds themselves—but boy did they stick by him, but sadly it was not to be. Just when we thought that we were out of the dark times, life took a turn, and Jay chose to end his life.

I hope this campaign can just bring suicide out into the open. Don't be afraid of it—it's so stigmatised and yet it's rife. Stare at it in the face, look at it in the eye, and find out all you can about suicide. Know where to go, should this demon come knocking at your door. Know where you can get help, what organisations are out there, and what help you can get. When life started to spiral for us, I had no idea where to go, what to look for, or how to help. I was out of my depth. I wouldn't wish that for anybody.

I hope this campaign can just highlight the need to talk. You're not going to make them do it by asking questions and saying the word, but you just might stop someone from doing it. And, believe me, you do not want to live with the heartache and the pain that we live with daily. It's been five and a half years since Jay chose to leave us, and the pain is as raw today as it was then.