Geraldine's campaign to Stop Suicide Pandemic

UPDATE May 12th 2022:  WOW!!! What a posthumous birthday gift for Geraldine!  We can't believe the generosity of people in just a matter of 24 hours.  Thank you to every single person who supported this campaign.  Geraldine would be so proud to think over €2,000 is going to such a worthy cause as AWARE in her honour. 

Hi, our names are Shane, Gearóid and Megan McDonnell. Today, May 11th, is our Mam Geraldine Cummins' birthday. Geraldine should be turning 59, but she died suddenly and unexpectedly six weeks ago. Since her death, we have discovered that she had set up a GoFundMe page in 2020 entitled “Stop the Pandemic of Suicide.” She didn’t share it, so no funds were raised. To honour her memory and as a "one-off" gesture to mark this first birthday without her, we’re hoping our friends and family will donate what they can to AWARE. It's a charity that engages in work that Geraldine felt passionate about, raising awareness surrounding mental health. AWARE undertakes to create a society where people affected by stress, depression, bipolar disorder and mood-related conditions are understood, supported, free from stigma, and are encouraged to access appropriate therapies.

 

Thanks in advance for your support. The following words are not ours but our Mam's words, taken from the original fundraiser account that she created in 2020:

 

"I have lived with diseases of the brain receptors all my life with little support or understanding of Bipolar, Depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, PTSD and more. My youngest brother died by suicide in 2003. My oldest brother, also Bipolar, died in 2018 from complications four years after a suicide attempt left him paraplegic. Stigma nips at my heels every step of the way. Few people realize how much of a challenge it is to keep on going when a person feels as though everything is like wading through the thickest mud.

My passion is to bring awareness of individual struggles to as many people as possible & to raise funds towards helping Mental Health Awareness. Too many people fall through the cracks and cannot gain access to the vital help needed at the right time. Health Services can only really be of use within 9-5.

This is a Pandemic that needs everyone to pull together and get down to the business of saving lives in every single way that we can.

Please help me with this project. Your donation could be the most worthwhile thing you have ever done. Thank You, Geraldine"

 

In memory of Geraldine,

Thanks

Shane, Gearóid and Megan x