“People think of depression as a big glaring sign across somebody’s forehead… that is not necessarily the case.”
In January 2016, 11-year old Milly Tuomey, from Templeogue in Dublin, took her own life weeks after posting a message on Instagram that she was unhappy with her appearance and wanted to die.
Nearly two years’ on, her parents, Fiona and Tim Tuomey, appeared on the Late Late Show on Friday night to talk about the terrible tragedy and to emphasise that more needs to be done in Ireland to prevent other families suffering similar tragedies.
With remarkable dignity, Fiona and Tim made the point that depression is not always something that is obvious and that, as was the case with Milly, that the warning signs are not always clearly apparent.
“The main reason we wanted to come on and talk to people was to really get across the message that you don’t know,” Fiona Tuomey said.
“People think of depression as a big glaring sign across somebody’s forehead… that is not necessarily the case.”
The Tuomeys also discussed how they were unaware of the existence of SafeTALK, a training programme that prepares participants to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first-aid resources. More information on SafeTALK is available here.
“We weren’t empowered to have the conversation that we know you should have,” Fiona Tuomey told Ryan Tubridy on Friday night.
The Tuomeys also called for the creation of a Suicide Prevention Authority to help stop similar tragedies happening to other families in Ireland.
Clips via The Late Late Show
An online petition calling for the creation of a Suicide Prevention Authority by the charity 3Ts was inaccessible for a brief period on Friday night due to an overwhelming number of visitors in the wake of the Tuomeys’ appearance on the Late Late Show.
It can be accessed via the link in the tweet below.
The reality for many in crisis is a lack of services.Gaps in the system are costing lives everyday. We believe that only a Suicide Prevention Authority can deliver an effective solution.
Sign our petition now https://t.co/KipJlL57cs #suicideauthority #suicideprevention #latelate pic.twitter.com/aRbPpiiTOp— 3Ts (@3Ts_irl) December 15, 2017
If you are struggling with your mental health, or if you’re worried about a loved one, these are a number of resources you can use.
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