Neil Ross Memorial 300k in 30 days
Donation protected
My uncle Neil died by suicide on 19th of November 2007.
Neil had suffered from depression from his teenage years and was receiving psychiatric care. In the year leading to his death, he was in and out of the hospital, pleading with them to keep him because he was terrified he might kill himself. Time and time again after repeated attempts he begged for help and didn't get it from the psychiatric services.
On the Thursday before he died he had an appointment with a counsellor in Ladywell, Dundalk and as he was so depressed and confused he was a half an hour late. Instead of being accommodated, he was scolded like a bold child for his lateness and was sent away without getting care. On the Saturday, he went missing. His car was found parked at Salterstown beach and my dad and I found him washed up on the beach at Dunany point, Co. Louth two days later. He was 37 years old.
Neil had an encyclopedic brain for music and sports knowledge which he put to excellent use on his radio show the" Lily Whites" and "The Sports Academy" on Dundalk 100 FM. You can see their tribute to him here:
https://www.dundalkfc.com/history/irish-football-bits-bobs/neil-ross-tribute-by-ciaran-callan/
He lived and breathed music (The Beatles no 1 fan!) and had a vast vinyl collection. He adored football and was devoted to both Dundalk FC and Aston Villa in equal measures. He was also a registrar of marriages where he married couples at Heynestown Old Rectory Registry Office.
Aside from his passion for football and music, Neil volunteered much of his time to the mental health organisation, Grow. It wasn't until after his funeral that we realised that he was a leader in the organisation and helped so many others in their battle through depression.
After his funeral, we were contacted by many of his friends from Grow who asked if they could meet us and share some stories of Neil. There was one lady who told me that he stopped her from committing suicide on many occasions. They used to call each other on New Year's Eve every year because they felt so alone, which was really tough to hear.
There were many stories of how Neil helped others in their darkest hours and helped them to grow and heal, yet in the end, he could not heal himself because the Mental Health Services let him down.
The tragedy of it all was that he begged for help and he didn't get it. We tried to get him appointments, a hospital admission, for him to be taken seriously. No help, no compassion, no decent treatment when he needed it. He drowned in his depression, literally.
This is Neils story. It has been 13 years since his death. We lost kind, witty Neil, a son, baby brother, uncle and friend from our family far too soon.
Yesterday, when going through his things, I found his writings about how he was feeling and how he was struggling and they broke my heart all over again.
Today I have decided that I don't want Neil to be forgotten. I want to help others who are going through what he went through, just like he helped others. He stood for something positive even when he himself was suffering.
So today I am committing to walk/jog 300kms in 30 days, 24th November to Christmas Eve.
I used to think that if only Neil lived nowadays, he wouldn't have felt such stigma, he would have had more help, mental health would have been more recognised. While true to an extent, it is more accepted and services are more accessible than they were 13 years ago, there is still a very long way to go.
I don't want anyone to have to fight for help with their mental health, feel like they are not worthy of help or feel like they have nowhere to turn to when they feel lonely, troubled or low. And I definitely don't want someone to have to find a person they love how we found Neil.
Now more than ever, people need help with their mental health.
So please, give what you can and help me remember Neil and people like him who need vital mental health services.
Feel free to join me in this walk and tag #neilross300in30 on Facebook and Instagram.
Donations will be divided equally between Grow and Aware.
www.grow.ie
www.aware.ie
Lets spread a little light in these dark months.
Thank you so much and I am so grateful for every single donation big or small.
Lauren xxx
Neil had suffered from depression from his teenage years and was receiving psychiatric care. In the year leading to his death, he was in and out of the hospital, pleading with them to keep him because he was terrified he might kill himself. Time and time again after repeated attempts he begged for help and didn't get it from the psychiatric services.
On the Thursday before he died he had an appointment with a counsellor in Ladywell, Dundalk and as he was so depressed and confused he was a half an hour late. Instead of being accommodated, he was scolded like a bold child for his lateness and was sent away without getting care. On the Saturday, he went missing. His car was found parked at Salterstown beach and my dad and I found him washed up on the beach at Dunany point, Co. Louth two days later. He was 37 years old.
Neil had an encyclopedic brain for music and sports knowledge which he put to excellent use on his radio show the" Lily Whites" and "The Sports Academy" on Dundalk 100 FM. You can see their tribute to him here:
https://www.dundalkfc.com/history/irish-football-bits-bobs/neil-ross-tribute-by-ciaran-callan/
He lived and breathed music (The Beatles no 1 fan!) and had a vast vinyl collection. He adored football and was devoted to both Dundalk FC and Aston Villa in equal measures. He was also a registrar of marriages where he married couples at Heynestown Old Rectory Registry Office.
Aside from his passion for football and music, Neil volunteered much of his time to the mental health organisation, Grow. It wasn't until after his funeral that we realised that he was a leader in the organisation and helped so many others in their battle through depression.
After his funeral, we were contacted by many of his friends from Grow who asked if they could meet us and share some stories of Neil. There was one lady who told me that he stopped her from committing suicide on many occasions. They used to call each other on New Year's Eve every year because they felt so alone, which was really tough to hear.
There were many stories of how Neil helped others in their darkest hours and helped them to grow and heal, yet in the end, he could not heal himself because the Mental Health Services let him down.
The tragedy of it all was that he begged for help and he didn't get it. We tried to get him appointments, a hospital admission, for him to be taken seriously. No help, no compassion, no decent treatment when he needed it. He drowned in his depression, literally.
This is Neils story. It has been 13 years since his death. We lost kind, witty Neil, a son, baby brother, uncle and friend from our family far too soon.
Yesterday, when going through his things, I found his writings about how he was feeling and how he was struggling and they broke my heart all over again.
Today I have decided that I don't want Neil to be forgotten. I want to help others who are going through what he went through, just like he helped others. He stood for something positive even when he himself was suffering.
So today I am committing to walk/jog 300kms in 30 days, 24th November to Christmas Eve.
I used to think that if only Neil lived nowadays, he wouldn't have felt such stigma, he would have had more help, mental health would have been more recognised. While true to an extent, it is more accepted and services are more accessible than they were 13 years ago, there is still a very long way to go.
I don't want anyone to have to fight for help with their mental health, feel like they are not worthy of help or feel like they have nowhere to turn to when they feel lonely, troubled or low. And I definitely don't want someone to have to find a person they love how we found Neil.
Now more than ever, people need help with their mental health.
So please, give what you can and help me remember Neil and people like him who need vital mental health services.
Feel free to join me in this walk and tag #neilross300in30 on Facebook and Instagram.
Donations will be divided equally between Grow and Aware.
www.grow.ie
www.aware.ie
Lets spread a little light in these dark months.
Thank you so much and I am so grateful for every single donation big or small.
Lauren xxx
Organizer
Lauren Ross
Organizer