MITCH McPHERSON & VICKI STEVENS
Mitch McPherson spends his days urging others to chat. So it’s hardly surprising a chat with his mum Vicki Stevens is never far from his mind. The 30-year-old from New Town founded not-forprofit organisation SPEAK UP! Stay Chatty after losing his younger brother Ty to suicide in 2013. He visits schools, sports clubs and workplaces, promoting positive mental health and encouraging people to seek help if they need it.
And he plans to catch up with his Mum for a coffee and a chat this Mother’s Day.
Mitch says the shared experience of heartbreak, grief and loss since 18-year-old Ty’s death had given him a new appreciation for his Mum.
“I feel like I want to take more care of Mum after what’s happened,” admits Mitch, who was named Tasmania’s Young Australian of the Year in 2017. “The pain I’ve seen ... I know what she goes through. She’s on my mind a lot more than she was before losing Ty. The sadness I feel for her is pretty unexplainable.”
Mitch believes it’s important to check in on loved ones regularly to make sure they’re OK, regardless of how hectic day-to-day life gets. “I’ve got a busy life, but we definitely talk on the phone as much as we can,” says Mitch, as he recounts the long list of work and family commitments on his schedule for the week.
“We don’t catch up all the time, we don’t have weekly dinners and that sort of thing. But she’s always Mum, we never fight. I’ll always be there for her and she’ll always be there for me. On Mother’s Day I’ll do my best to catch up and have coffee with Mum and see how she’s travelling.”
Mitch says he’s lucky to have not one but three wonderful mother figures in his life.
He has a good relationship with his wife Sahar’s family, including his mother-in-law Najla who has leukaemia and is in Melbourne recovering from a bonemarrow transplant.
“When I first met my mother-in-law Najla, I never imagined that she would one day mean so much to me,” Mitch says. “She is our rock and she means so much to all of us. I’m sending her my love, my strength, and I’m asking everyone else out there to keep her in their thoughts.”
Mitch is also close to his stepmum, Koula. “I’ve got a great relationship with her and that’s really special as well,” he says. “I’m lucky to have three mums ... who all care for me and love me and look out for me.”
He says these three women are among his biggest supporters, always heaping him with praise for his SPEAK UP! Stay Chatty work.
Mitch quit his job as a glazier after Ty died to devote himself to the charity, which now has four full-time staff, has partnered with Relationships Australia, and has raised more than $500,000 for suicide prevention nationally.
“I absolutely love what I do ... obviously I’d give it all back to have my little brother back, but I do feel it has given me a real purpose in life.
“My mum, my stepmum and my mother-in-law are constantly telling me how proud they are, and that they love what I’m doing.
“Mum says Ty’s with me every day and we’d all be making him proud to show such strength to carry on from what was an awful time.”
If you or someone you know is in need of crisis or suicide prevention support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au/gethelp