Mother Tash Lambert talks on mental health after 17-year-old daughter Josie Pinheiro dies from suicide
A grieving Warrnambool mother has pleaded for action after her “bubbly” teenage daughter took her own life after moving to Townsville.
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A distraught mother has pleaded for better suicide awareness and prevention after her “bubbly” teenage daughter took her own life.
Josie Pinheiro had recently moved from Warrnambool to Kelso, near Townsville in Queensland, to live with her boyfriend.
But just months later, on February 2, the 17-year-old took her own life while on a waitlist to access counselling services.
Her mother Tash Lambert has spoken out about the desperate need for better suicide awareness and prevention, particularly in regional towns.
In a heart-wrenching interview with the Herald Sun, Ms Lambert described her daughter as a “loveable big sister” who adored her brothers and was always kind to others.
“She always cracked jokes whenever she walked through the door,” she said.
“Just seeing her smile on her face when I picked her up from school, having the spirit to go out and find herself a job and wanting to be independent.”
Josie, a teenager with an intellectual disability, had goals of owning a farm and having “all the animals in the world”, but was on a waitlist for counseling services, a situation her mother believes is unacceptable.
“The law now states that when you’re 16, obviously you have more say in what you do on your own — when it comes to mental health, that shouldn’t be the case,” Ms Lambert said.
“There should never be a wait list when it comes to children or young teens.”
The grieving mother is calling for more action to be taken, and for parents to have more power in taking their children to counseling sessions.
Ms Lambert encourages anyone suffering from mental health issues to reach out for help, even if it means writing a letter and giving it to someone they trust.
“There needs to be more help for kids who are struggling through that stage and are in a dark place needing that help,” she said.
“Kids that are on waitlists and can’t see psychologists or counsellors for months upon months on end (and) have to wait because there’s just this long waitlist.
“That’s what Josie was on — but until then what do they do? That’s where the problem lays — there’s nothing in between.”
Ms Lambert believes counselling should be ongoing for young people.
“The thing with Josie is she used to tell me mum I don’t like going to counsellors because they keep leaving me — I get 10 free sessions and then I have to go back to my doctor and get another referral for another 10 free sessions — she just didn’t like it, it was too much for her,” she said.
Josie’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with travel and funeral costs, which has already raised more than $12,000.
Ms Lambert urged anyone who needed help to reach out.
“If you can’t talk about it — I suggest writing about it — write a letter and give it to someone if you can’t talk about it and think about the loved ones around you and how it affects them,” she said.
“Even if it’s not a parent it could be a friend, someone at shopping centre or a stranger.”
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