Karen and Tony Reeve’s daughter Kylie died by suicide in 2005. At the time the couple made contact with StandBy Support After Suicide seeking support for themselves and their family.
StandBy visited the couple and listened to their story and provided them with practical assistance and information, however it was the emotional support they really appreciated.
“We were so grateful for the immediate support but were also told what we can expect later on, and even today we reflect on conversations with StandBy to make sense of our emotional journey,” Karen said.
The support provided by StandBy acknowledged and respected the personal differences and needs for both Karen and Tony, as well as other family members. In time Tony was comfortable speaking about his lived experience, while for Karen she found comfort in her nurturing role to Kylie’s children.
The Reeves family continue to support the suicide prevention cause as fundraisers for the local StandBy Support After Suicide program with a collection tin at the family Noosa Outlook Bakery. Beside the tin is a photo of Kylie and information on StandBy, and staff are good listeners and advocates for suicide prevention.
“The other day a lady at the counter told us she remembered Kylie as a friendly face behind the bakery counter which we thought was lovely given she was only a child back then,
“Many of our customers who first donated are still dropping coins into the tin each bakery visit and from time to time we refer people to the StandBy service,” Tony said.
Over the year’s coins collected have added up to almost $40,000 and make a big difference to people impacted and bereaved by suicide. The local StandBy program use these donated funds to help people with bills when unable to work, books on grief for children and teens, and vehicle registrations, to name a few.
Partnerships between community agencies and local businesses help to make more people aware of how to get help and/or support causes. The Reeves business and customers are helping people to talk about suicide in the hope of preventing suicide in the future.
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