My family friend , Rishiraj Valappil Shalu, took his own life on September 14, 2023. He was only 28years old. He came to Australia in 2018 to pursue a master's degree at the University of Wollongong, and he was full of hope and dreams for the future.

But as often happens with suicide, there were signs that he was struggling. He had been withdrawn and isolated in recent months, and he had been talking about feeling hopeless and empty. I tried to reach out to him, but he refused to talk about what was going on.

I'm now raising funds to help cover the cost of Transporting his remains to India where his parents can see him for the last time. His death has left a huge hole in the hearts of all his friends and family. We're all still trying to come to terms with what happened, and any donation, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.