Onyx Rose suicide: Help came too late for Logan teen

Months after a Logan teen took his own life, the family are receiving calls from services who can only now take his case.

The devastated family a teen who took his own life are calling for action to ensure young people have quicker access to mental health care.

The family of Onyx Rose, 13, who died by suicide on July 16, said they tried to get him help for two years – before finally getting an appointment two days before he died.

The teen was bullied for being “fat” and for identifying as a boy, then for asking that his pronouns to be changed to he/him.

His sister, Ivy Lambert, said the family’s loss was made even harder when Logan Hospital – in a callous bureaucratic bungle – offered Onyx and appointment a month after his death.

“Mum is still getting certain people ring saying they can now help – but it’s obviously too late now,” she said.

Ivy Lambert, whose sibling Onyx took his life in July. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“Mum put a request in two years ago with Logan Hospital for Onyx Rose to see a pediatrician and to get going with the counselling.

“It’s been two years and they finally sent out a message saying there was an appointment available.”

Ms Lambert said the two-year wait was unacceptable and more should have been done to help Onyx.

“For all we know, with the extra help that people have offered now that he’s gone, if the help had have been offered beforehand things could have been a lot different,” she said.

She said her mother finally had to go to the Aboriginal Medical Centre to get treatment for Onyx.

“Mum had to use all our savings just to get that help that should have been available – a lot of people don’t have that backup savings there.”

Ivy Lambert, whose sibling Onyx took his life in July. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Ms Lambert said more awareness for younger children needed to be brought up around suicide.

“When kids are a bit younger, I don’t think they realise that’s it, you can’t come back from it,” she said.

“Nothing is really ever talked about, it’s a taboo subject, nobody wants to talk about it especially when the kids are younger.”

Metro South Health chief executive Noelle Cridland said they want to offer their deepest sympathies to Onyx’s family.

“We also apologise for any distress caused by correspondence relating to Onyx’s care,” she said.

“This case has been referred to the coroner, and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Grace Sholl had suicidal thoughts from as young as eight, and is now helping others overcome depression. Picture: Lachie Millard

Grace Sholl, 21, who had suicidal thoughts at the age of eight said she didn’t know that her suicidal thoughts weren’t normal when she was young because mental health was never talked about.

Ms Sholl, who now works in mental health advocacy and suicide prevention, said children’s suicide was a “social taboo”.

“When we talk about suicide, it’s always about teenagers. It’s always about high school age, young people. We don’t talk about suicide and people aged 12, that is still a social taboo,” she said. “We still don’t have a lot of research on young people of that age, and suicidal thoughts, it’s very difficult to get ethical approval to do research on that age group.”