A grieving mom has spoken of her heartbreak after two of her kids took their very own lives inside 5 years of one another.
Leanda Kelly, 66, mentioned her coronary heart was ‘completely shattered’ following the deaths of her daughter Tanya in 2018 and son Steve final yr.
Steve and Tanya each died aged 44, with Steve selecting to finish his personal life partly as a result of he didn’t need to dwell longer than his beloved sister.
Now, Leanda, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, is aiming to boost £10,000 for 3 charities by the tip of the week after organising occasions the place folks can get a semicolon tattoo.
The designs are seen as a logo of hope and are frequent amongst suicide survivors.
Grieving mom Leanda Kelly, 66, has spoken of her heartbreak after her son Steve (seen along with his mom) and her daughter Tanya took their very own lives inside 5 years of one another
Tanya (pictured) killed herself in 2018 aged 44, 5 years earlier than Steve took his life on the similar age final yr
Leanda, often known as Landy, mentioned: ‘I now stroll in these ugly footwear that no one needs to put on, footwear I can by no means ever take off.
‘I shall do all I can to assist different dad and mom from having to put on these footwear.
‘My coronary heart shattered and it’ll by no means be mended.
‘Getting folks to speak and know it is okay to speak and say you aren’t okay is one thing I have to get throughout to everybody.
‘Do not undergo in silence, attain out to somebody, there are arms that may seize yours – mine being one among them. I give nice hugs and people are free.’
Tanya took her life on December 17, 2018 following a protracted wrestle together with her psychological well being together with challenges with an consuming dysfunction and bipolar dysfunction.
Landy mentioned her daughter had ‘essentially the most lovely coronary heart’ however was ‘additionally unhappy and really damaged.’
She defined: ‘Tanya was stunningly lovely – and I do not simply say that as a result of she was my daughter. She used to show heads.
‘She was humorous, cheeky however she was additionally unhappy and was very damaged.
‘She suffered from an consuming dysfunction from an early age and she or he was identified with bipolar dysfunction.
‘She was nonetheless the life and soul however her struggles obtained worse as she obtained older and she or he would by no means settle for that anybody might love her. She thought she wasn’t worthy of it.
‘My daughter took a really lengthy path to taking her life as a result of I saved saving her, she selected to destroy her physique and I could not save her.
‘We watched her take her life in a really lengthy course of and it was terrible to observe.’
Steve was hit extremely exhausting by the lack of his sister and fell into habit, however was 4 years sober on the time of his dying.
Landy mentioned: ‘I at all times known as Stevie my naughty child. He was cheeky and mischievous – you could not inform him off as a result of he would make you snort.
‘At 15, he fell right into a horrible crowd and beginning experimenting with substances. He labored exhausting to show his life round.
‘When Stevie advised me I used to be going to be a grandma, I used to be overjoyed and knew it was going to be the beginning of one thing new.’
Leanda, often known as Landy, mentioned she thought Steve turning into a father ‘was going to be the beginning of one thing new’ earlier than he fell right into a deep despair after his sister’s dying
Steve had been sober for 4 years when he fell right into a deep despair.
He took his personal life in July 2023, forsaking two daughters. He was 44 years previous – the identical age as Tanya when she died.
Landy mentioned: ‘In his head he could not dwell any longer than his sister.
‘Together with his girlfriend, I believed he’d discovered true happiness. This time final yr I felt like for the primary time in my life I wasn’t anxious about him and wasn’t calling him each day to verify he was nonetheless alive.
‘His girlfriend discovered him lifeless in his flat, a picture we won’t ever get out of our heads.
‘He was nonetheless so damage inside.’
Decided to honour her kids and to stop different dad and mom from struggling the identical heartbreak, Landy made contact with Pure Colors, a tattoo studio in St Albans.
They organized a semicolon tattoo occasion, with proceeds going to charities SANE, Thoughts in Mid Herts and St Albans Motion for Homeless.
Landy defined: ‘The semicolon tattoo is about displaying that your story hasn’t ended and also you’re in command of giving it a cheerful ending.
‘It isn’t a full cease or comma, its an affirmation of how your life continues.’
On June 1, Landy obtained her personal semicolon tattoo, which doubles up as a dragonfly, and raised virtually £7,000 from 302 tattoos which continued into June 2.
Since then, greater than £1,500 has been raised in further donations, with a 3rd occasion set for June 29 attributable to in style demand with the full to date at £8,744.
One other 302 tattoos are already booked in for this weekend, so Landy expects the donations to exceed £10,000.
Now, Leanda, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, is aiming to boost £10,000 for charity by the tip of the week after organising occasions the place folks can get semicolon tattoos (Landy’s pictured), that are a logo of hope frequent amongst suicide survivors
She added: ‘It exhibits how completely beloved they’re. There’s a lot love, assist, and respect.
‘This is not for sympathy or for me, it is about them and about different people who find themselves struggling as a result of they’ve misplaced their family members.
‘Steve was a form, caring and good-looking boy who had a coronary heart of gold and helped so many individuals.
‘He would do something for anybody, and this was obvious as folks spoke about him at his funeral, I really did not realise simply how a lot he did for others.
‘The identical was mentioned about Tanya – sadly they did not take their very own recommendation.
‘Elevating consciousness and understanding in direction of psychological well being is so necessary. The funds are an absolute bonus.
‘Speak. I at all times ask folks twice in the event you’re okay. Ask them after which ask them once more to learn the way they actually really feel.
‘Study to speak about your issues after which be taught to hearken to others. Simply be variety.’
For confidential assist, name the Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org
