Jada Bloom wants more action on teen mental health after son Harvey’s suicide

Harvey would have been 15 in April, but sadly he did not make it. His mum Jada is calling for more to be done to stop teen suicide.

Jada and her son Harvey.

On April 23, my son Harvey would have turned 15.

I should have been celebrating with him, eating dumplings — that were his favourite — and trying out his new kayak at Lillydale Lake.

Instead I was travelling through Tasmania with a container of ashes next to me in the car where my beloved son would be.

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On March 29 I made the heartbreaking discovery that my son had taken his own life in our family home.

In an instant my life and the lives of my two daughters were shattered.

The last time I saw Harvey alive it had just been your average night with a grumpy teen.

We argued, but unlike any other night it was the one night that we did not tell one another that we loved each other.

When I went to wake him up in the morning I found his bed empty.

I thought he needed to blow off steam and it was something I would work out with him later.

Harvey and his mum.

A younger Harvey and Jada.

As I drove home that afternoon I decided that I would visit our GP and get Harvey a mental health plan, which would give him sessions with a psychiatrist.

When I arrived home I made a devastating discovery. It was then that my whole world imploded.

There needs to be a revolution.

One where conversations about mental health have begun.

When I collected Harvey’s ashes, the funeral director spoke to me about how she struggled after taking care of Harvey.

She is at a loss with youth taking their own lives.

Harvey is one face of many who were swallowed by sadness and frustration.

This is an epidemic and we need to start the conversation.

Friends of the Bloom’s have set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs.

If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.