It was too late by the time they found out but many of his friend’s knew. This couple was completely oblivious of their teenage son’s suicidal intent but he had spoken of it to many of his friends. They didn’t know what to do. They kept quiet. Now the parent’s campaign actively to prevent suicides and their main message for the young is – if any of your friends express suicidal thoughts, please speak to an older person you trust. That person could be you or me or a GP.

Trust is key. How many of us have a trusting relationship with our GP? Unluckily, I did but Saagar didn’t. He had only ever visited the practice twice –once to register as a patient and 6 years later to get his vaccinations before his trip to Uganda. I doubt if he saw the GP on any of those occasions. He didn’t even know the GP before he got really ill.

It is important for all of us to be aware of suicide risk because any of us could be asked for help by anyone at any time. That might be our one chance to keep someone safe.

PAPYRUS was founded in 1997 by a mother, Jean Kerr, from Lancashire following the death of her son to suicide. Gradually other parents all bereaved by suicide began to join her in the belief that something positive could come from their own tragedy.

Determined to prevent other parents suffering such pain, they began sharing their own personal experiences of loss in an effort to reduce the stigma surrounding young suicide and provide help to other parents worried about their child.

Since 1997, PAPYRUS has continued to listen to and learn from the experiences of those touched by young suicide. Today, PAPYRUS remains dedicated to offering support directly to young people at risk of suicide, their parents and any one concerned about a young person they know. Here is a link to their latest newsletter and contact details:

 https://www.papyrus-uk.org/news/item/papyrus-newsletter

Call: 0800 068 41 41

Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org

SMS: 07786 209697