*TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE*
❌ Rugby heroes & heroic Parents of a little boy who killed himself ❌
A fancy Friday rugby lunch for The Scots College which I was so lucky to be invited to. Over 700 guests.
As the video shows, the school “bagpiped” the Year 6 Rugby 1st XV on to the stage* as junior accompaniments to their everyday heroes – the “big boys” of Scots 1st XV.
(* I love – but often struggle with – the ceremonial magnificence; a Topic for another day, perhaps).
Footy heroes were on stage: Our own Year 6 Rugby Captain, the School’s 1st XV Rugby Captain & a NSW Waratahs player. All 3 spoke.
Mateship was the unanimous theme.
BUT THEN THE REAL HERO SPOKE: Scott Riedel – on behalf of himself & his gorgeous wife Amanda. They have the Harrison Riedel Foundation.
Harrison Riedel was a 13yo school boy; just over a year older than my son Max.
Chaotic morning routines, while different in every family, are ultimately always the same.
The Riedel house could be my house!
Just like Max does every day, Harrison would usually depart for school by saying goodbye to his dog first (of course!)
Then, exactly like I do to Max, Amanda would sing out to tell Harrison how much she loved him & he would reply ‘’I love you too’’….& then head straight back to his phone, and his friends, often at the same time.
But, one morning, Harrison was busy texting and he walked out the door. Did he not hear Amanda call out ‘I love you’? Silence….
At 10:15 am that morning, Amanda was phoned to say Harrison was dead; appeared to have taken his own life.
❤️ QUESTION
How does a 13-year old boy – a child so typical, so normal, so laugh-out-loud funny, and so loved – have the emotional strength and fortitude to END HIS LIFE?
❤️ MORE QUESTIONS
Would he have recognised negative thought patterns & feelings?
Would he have known how to put into words what he was feeling that particular morning?
Would he have gone out of his comfort zone to approach someone, or make a phone call to ask for help?
Would he have even recognised what he needed help with?
Amanda doubts it.
Scott & Amanda have created a way for kids to support each other; involving an App on their phone (of course!)
Like rugby, it involves their mates. Their CREW.
The YourCrew App is outstanding.
I have my extended family all signed up as part of Max’s Crew: cousins, Aunty Carly and Uncle James (who he says he would talk to about “tricky things”) and – best of all – his mates.
He can journal his thoughts, bring in his own mates to join him on the App and reach any of us – or The Kids Helpline – at any time he wants.
I ❤️ IT.
Whenever I hear those bagpipes now, instead of projecting my own awkwardness / issues about the fanfare, I’ve promised myself that – instead – I’ll think of the Riedels and how they’d give anything to have Harrison standing there with all of us to hear the music in the first place.
Amanda & Scott Riedel – I’ll be part of YourCrew anytime ❤️
