peter
“My cousin passed away last week through suicide. Stephen was a 20-year-old, devoted father of a beautiful little girl. He idolised her and she loved him. He was found on her second birthday, a few days after seeking help from Beaumont hospital, after long hours of waiting he was refused treatment because he didn’t live in the catchment area. How pathetic is that? He was sent home after telling them he was suicidal. They told him someone from Ballymun clinic would be in contact to which no-one did. It is now too late. They tell people suffering from mental health difficulties to speak up, to talk to professionals, to not suffer in silence, when in reality they make it so difficult to receive treatment. Who are we supposed to turn to if our own healthcare system deems us unworthy? I guess it’s a perfect opportunity for me to raise awareness not just for my family but for everyone who has been in a similar situation. This has to stop. How many more lives will be lost through the ignorance and heartlessness of our healthcare system? Don’t let another family be a statistic. Lives matter but yet we’re treating people like they are nothing.”