peter
“My mother and I found my oldest brother motionless in the hall when I was four. He had hung himself. Once my mother began screaming and crying I knew something was wrong. We were all devastated, and it was exacerbated four years later when my father died on our holiday in Italy. My mother’s mental health was destroyed. A year passed and my paternal grandmother passed away. Five years later, when I was fourteen, I walked into the sitting room and found my mother on the floor. A few hours later she passed. From all these events my life consisted of acrophobia, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, withdrawal and anger. When people ask me how I survived I tell them it was three things. Firstly, I began to play guitar when I was seventeen. It taught me that when one puts their mind to something, and they want it badly, anything is possible. Secondly, helping my sister with her daughter. She was practically my mother growing up. Putting a smile on their faces is what puts one on mine. And the third thing was meeting my best friend and her family two years ago. I never met a family so strong. Thanks to them I got back in touch with my faith, I became vegan, I learned about the world and it really got me through my life knowing they were proud. The long term plan is to write music and get back to Africa where I was when I was sixteen helping the locals. I can’t thank those people enough, and those negative and positive experiences, for making me who I am.”