01 Nov 2018 West Perth resident Drew Leverett knows first hand that the lead up to Christmas isn’t a time of joy and happiness for everyone, especially those affected by the loss of a loved one to suicide. Drew’s father died by suicide four years ago and he says Christmas became a time of sadness rather than celebration. Drew says the first Christmas after his father died was particularly hard. “Christmas wasn’t something that I cared for much when things in my family life weren’t going the best a few years back, and I can imagine that a lot of other people will feel a huge amount of stress and pressure during this time of year,” he said. Drew’s experiences motivated him to become an ambassador for Lifeline WA’s Lights for Lifeline campaign, which aims to raise awareness of suicide and spread the message that no one should feel alone this Christmas. Lifeline WA CEO Lorna MacGregor said the campaign also aimed to raise money to fund the expansion of the WA crisis call centre. “Last year, more than 46,500 West Australians called Lifeline’s telephone crisis line asking for help,” she said. “Recent statistics released by the ABS show 409 West Australians died by suicide in 2017, and WA has the third highest suicide rate in the country. “This highlights the need for us to urgently train more volunteers to answer more calls.” At just 28 years old, Drew has attended the funerals of four people who have died by suicide. But he says with the support of his wife, he’s been able to start to focus on the small things that bring happiness in life, and to look forward to the festive season again. “My situation is a complete 180 from what life used to be a few years ago and this is something I’m more proud and appreciative of,” he said. “The one thing that I always focused on after losing my father, and still do every day, is the simple fact that I was lucky enough to have spent the time with him that I did. “It’s never easy losing someone but it’s so important to make sure you appreciate the time you had with them and how lucky we were to have had them in our lives to begin with.” As a Lights for Lifeline ambassador, Drew will attend events and help decorate WA’s biggest Christmas tree, to be put up in Yagan Square in early November. You can donate to the Lights for Lifeline campaign: https://www.lifelinewa.org.au/Donations Back To News Stories