Mum speaks out to help save lives
THE community of Cherbourg is pleading for help as it battles a devastating suicide crisis, which has leaders questioning where millions of dollars in funding is being spent. During the past year the tight-knit community has lost more than 10 residents to suicide, each death tearing open new wounds and reopening old ones for struggling parents, family, friends and teachers. Four years ago, Lavina and Jeffrey Dynevor received a devastating phone call with the news their treasured and outgoing 16-year-old son had taken his own life. The grieving mum said her boy, who loved football, rodeo and motorbikes, was incredibly strong but tragically, this also meant no one could see he was suffering until it was too late. Ms Dynevor said on the night her son died, he visited the house and told his father, “Tell Mum not to stay up,” as he’d be sleeping at someone else’s place for the night. Mr Dynevor followed him out to the gate, they said “I love you” to each other and he walked away. That was the last time he saw their teenage son. The grieving parents said they received immense support from family, the community and support organisations after their son's death, but it ended after the funeral. “I think once you bury someone, you’re forgotten about; there’s no support after we say goodbye,” Ms Dynevor said. “We do need to learn to live with the pain, but there’s not help with that.” Between 2015–2019, suicide was the leading cause of death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, accounting for one third of recorded deaths.
According to Lifeline statistics, the suicide rate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is twice that of their non-Indigenous counterparts, while people in rural populations, such as the South Burnett, are two times more likely to die by suicide than those in urban areas.
The Dynevors joined Cherbourg’s Suicide Prevention and Awareness Network group and now act as first responders to help anyone at risk of taking their life.
“I lost my son four years ago to suicide, and I still carry that pain,” Ms Dynevor said.
“Me and Jeffery, we do what we do, especially for the children, because we don’t want parents to go through what we’re going through.
“We’re still learning to live without our son.”
At a forum held by Cherbourg Aboriginal Council, Mayor Elvie Sandow called to account 166 organisations reportedly funded an estimated $190m per annum to provide services for the Cherbourg community, 67 of which are funded to provide mental health and wellbeing services.
Cherbourg State School culture and language co-ordinator Sylvia Bond, said members of SPAN were curious to know where the funds were going, as much of the work being done to aid residents’ mental health was coming from the council or out of their own pockets.
“It’s gotten to the point where we literally had to cry for help from these agencies because, at the moment, we’re all on our own,” she said.
Ms Dynevor said another difficulty was finding support services that would consult and work with the Cherbourg community, and work to understand and address the reasons behind mental health issues, and drug and alcohol use in a culturally appropriate way.
“These problems are a symptom of a much deeper wound …” she said.
Until help is provided, Ms Dynevor said the first step toward reducing suicide in the community would come from within.
“I think the community needs to band together,” she said.