Music video joy for teenager who had mental health crisis
Rapper Jack, 17, recovers to reach high note with the help of charity
A TEENAGER from Hayling Island is enjoying musical success – thanks to a Havant charity that is credited with helping save his life after a series of mental health episodes.
Jack Davies, 17, has seen the first music video for his rapping alter-ego – Jack2Drippyy – rack up thousands of views online.
It was produced by Havant charity Music Fusion, based in East Street.
A doctor introduced the family to the group – which
helps provide music making activities for vulnerable and in-need young people – after the teenager suffered a crash in his mental health in 2020.
His spiralling mental health resulted in a series of visits to hospital.
Now Jack’s mum, Katie, said her son ‘wouldn’t be here’ if it wasn’t for the charity’s work – and hopes that Jack’s ordeal will inspire others in a similar position to seek out the group’s support.
The 37-year-old mum of three said: ‘Music has saved him. It has kept him going.
‘2020 was whole low year for us. I can’t say it was purely due to the lockdown – his meds weren’t right, he had changed doctor’s.
‘It was a bit of everything – he was that low, he couldn’t express himself. He did cut himself up. We had to lock everything away. It was a really, really tough time.
‘I was banging on anyone’s door who could help me.’
Jack said it was ‘amazing’ to see the finished music video for his single ‘Understand’, coming after a ‘pretty rubbish’ year.
He added: ‘It looked amazing – it looked really good. I am writing a few new
songs now.’
It looked amazing – it looked really good. Now I’m writing a few new songs. Jack Davies
Now Jack’s one-to-one sessions with staff at Music Fusion are being funded by the NHS, and Katie is calling for more funding to go towards children and adults’ mental health services (CAMHS) so other families do not have to go through their ordeal.
Despite Jack’s mental health resulting in dozens of emergency hospital visits in July 2020, it wasn’t until four months later that a bed in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit was found.
But the bed was in a Southampton unit – meaning a two hour round trip for the family.
Katie said: ‘They opened up a nationwide search for a psychiatric intensive care bed and they couldn’t get him one.
‘The team in Havant wasn’t trying – they were searching and searching.
‘There just isn’t enough funding in CAMHS.’
Jack is now hoping to start a course in music production at the City of Liverpool
College.