Brave teenager Dani Rothwell wants to stop the devastation of youth suicide and she is calling on all leaders, both community and government to take a stand. By Melissa Meehan
BEING afraid of catching the train in case someone jumps off the platform is a very real part of life for Berwick teenagers.
They are tired of saying goodbye to their friends, and even more tired of seeing young lives wasted.
At the weekend’s Summit on Youth Suicide, Beaconhills College student Dani Rothwell spoke about her own experience with youth suicide.
She doesn’t assume to know what families and friendship groups devastated by suicide are going through.
She doesn’t claim to be an expert on the issue either.
But when her Beaconhills College classmate died from suicide in September last year, Dani saw the heartache of those around her.
She saw the community come together, and his friends and family grieve.
Until then she didn’t know how suicide could affect a whole community.
“I for one am sick and tired of saying goodbye to our friends,” Dani said.
“Sick of leaders not doing anything, sick of not being heard.
“It is the plague of our generation and without talking about it we are just sweeping it under the rug.”
Faced with the issue on a daily basis, Dani told the 200-strong audience how young people in the community were fearful of public transport because they thought the train might screech to a halt and kill someone.
“They are scared that they will be waiting at the platform as the train arrives at the station and someone will jump off,” she said.
“We are sick of seeing a waste of young life.”
