The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Mother of brain-damaged girl helps others struggling to cope
ANANGUS mum whose daughter was left brain-damaged after a suicide attempt now wants to help others avoid a similar fate.
Gillian Millman’s 18-year-old daughter Lauren found it difficult to discuss her problems and tried to take her life in September.
Her mother has only now plucked up the courage to talk about what happened to Lauren who was studying higher social sciences at Angus College.
She told The Courier: “Our beautiful daughter Lauren failed in her attempt and caused catastrophic damage to her brain which has left her in a vegetative state.
“Lauren was in hospital for 10 days before we were allowed to bring her home where we are now nursing and caring for her with the help of district nursing staff and a team of carers from the council’s social work department.
“It wasn’t long after Lauren came home that some other local mums who have lost their children through suicide got in touch with me to offer their support.
“It was after this that I decided I wanted to do something to highlight how much teenage and young adult suicide has touched our local community and so I chose a mental health charity that is trying to do just that.”
Gillian and husband Rob, who live in Arbroath, also have a son, Stuart, who is 15.
Gillian had her head shaved at the Millgate Bar in Arbroath on Saturday to raise cash for the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH).
In Scotland, two people take their own lives every day and suicide is the biggest killer of young people, but the associated stigma can make it difficult to talk to others.
Gillian added: “It is not just the families that are affected by this, but I know that Lauren’s friends and all those who know her have been deeply affected by this, and are also raising money for this cause.
“She wanted to work with young children from troubled backgrounds with mental health issues.
“She had many friends from and around Arbroath and it seems she touched many peoples’hearts.
“I have been told that she was someone who was a good listener who her friends went to when they needed a shoulder to cry on, but unfortunately she found it hard to pour her heart out to others, possibly feeling like many others that she didn’t want to trouble them with her problems.”
NHS Health Scotland’s Choose Life scheme ensures action is taken nationally and locally to build skills through training, improve knowledge and awareness of good suicide prevention practice, and encourage improved co-ordination between services.
One of the major achievements of 2013 for Choose Life across Angus and Dundee was the development and launch of a suicide prevention app.
The app, called ‘SUICIDE? HELP!’, can be accessed on any Apple or Android tablet or mobile phone. It is free to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play.