Lilly Thomas: Tributes flow for young Kyabram beautician

The mother of a Kyabram beautician who tragically took her life doesn’t want her death to be for nothing as tributes continue to flow for the 21-year-old.

Lilly Thomas spent her young life making people look and feel beautiful.

The talented make-up artist from Kyabram waved her “wand” to help her friends, strangers, and local celebrities in the state’s north, look their finest to mark their most memorable life events.

But it was the 21-year-old’s way with words, reminding people to never become silent about things that matter, that she is being remembered for most.

The former Kyabram P-12 College student tragically took her life on November 17 as those closest to her raised candles “to light up” Kyabram’s night sky in her memory on Sunday.

Lilly’s mum Rails Thomas, clutching her daughter’s ring on a necklace around her neck, said she did not want Lilly’s death to be in vain.

“Lilly reached out to people all the time who were struggling with mental health, she had such a big heart and she loved with all of it,” Ms Thomas said.

“But she was struggling with her own issues and I just want to remind people to turn to each other for help.

“Don’t try and do it on your own.

“If you can’t talk to your parents, talk to someone. Lilly had trauma that she didn’t deal with, she helped others deal with theirs but she couldn’t deal with hers. We need to remove that stigma so people feel comfortable enough to talk.”

Lilly Thomas, 21, with her mum Rails. Picture: supplied

Lilly is being remembered for the profound impact she had on those around her. Picture: supplied

Ms Thomas said her daughter, the youngest of her three children, was her best friend.

But Lilly also impacted so many others — 200 of which gathered in Kyabram’s Memorial Gardens to honour her.

One of her closest and longest friends, Ellie Fry, knew Lilly since she was 14 and said she had a beautiful soul.

“She would always stand up for the underdog,” Ellie said.

“She was that type of person who wouldn’t stand up for herself but would for anyone else. That was something special about her. She had a lot of empathy.”

Ellie said after one of her darkest days, Lilly got the word “impact” tattooed on her body.

“I asked her, ‘Why did you get that?’ And she said, ‘Because you can always have an impact on someone’,” Ellie said.

“And that is a word she lived by.”

Lilly with her dogs and Ellie. Picture: supplied

Lilly and Ellie had known each other since they were 14. Picture: supplied.

Lilly’s impact on those around her was profound, Ellie said.

She was a “giver”, loved travelling and used it as her escape. She also adored her family and spoiled her mum, dogs, goddaughter and friends.

Her favourite colour was green, and she always went out of her way to make people laugh.

But behind closed doors Ellie said Lilly battled with what few could comprehend, and though she attended her mental health appointments and had access to services, she cared more for others than she did herself.

Her close friend Shynarla West said Lilly was kind-hearted, generous and was the “light of her life” — and was always there for anyone who needed support.

“When it came to women’s rights or mental health, she was always campaigning,” she said.

“Even though she was struggling herself, if she saw someone going through something she always reached out, and made it known that she was there.

“She was just a beautiful person — inside and out, and very funny. If you needed cheering up, she’d come out with the funniest things, or she’d dance, just to make you feel happy.”

Another close friend, Tamara Allan, said Lilly was “selfless”.

“She was protective of all her friends ... she would have wanted us to be brave,” she said.

“She had an impact on me, as she did everyone.”

Friends say Lilly was always thinking about others before herself. Picture: supplied

Lilly died on November 17. Her funeral is on Thursday.

Lilly’s school chaplain Liz Spicer, who spoke at the memorial on Sunday, said Lilly would never be forgotten.

“I knew her well from school and I wore a lot of perfume tonight because Lilly used to like my perfume and she used to like my lipstick and my lashes,” she said.

Lilly’s funeral is on Thursday and her friends and family say they will continue to advocate for people suffering.

“If you are struggling, I hope your pain eases soon, just breathe. This will not last forever, I promise. You have survived every day up until this point, keep fighting,” Lilly posted on social media in September.

Lilly Rose Thomas, make-up artist, daughter, godmother and friend, will forever be remembered as the girl from Kyabram who helped those struggling most — in life and death.

“We’ve received hundreds of messages from people who say ‘If there is anything I can do, please let me know’,” Ellie said.

“And I think the best thing you can do is check up on your mates.

“The suicide rate in the Goulburn Valley overall (at least three young lives have been lost in a single month) is absolutely shocking and more needs to be done.

“One (life lost) is too many, let alone that many. Just please, reach out to your mates.

“It takes two minutes, not even that, and it could save a life.”

And that is, above all else, what Ellie said Lilly would have wanted.