agents of change Kai Eardley (’12) was just 20 years of age when he took his own life. The young university student had everything to live for but in his darkest hour the CBC Old Boy could not see a way out of his pain. Kai left behind a loving family, his mum and dad, Claire and Martin, older brother Cam (’10), and younger sibling Joey (’17). The family embraced outdoor pursuits, regularly travelling to surf, ski and explore, and the three sons were the centre of a community of like-minded adventurers. Devastated by the loss of their golden-haired boy, the Eardley family confronted the epidemic of male suicide in Australia, which takes 12 lives a day, and launched an initiative aimed at creating a positive change for mental health and to honour the life of Kai. The Kai Eardley Fund seeks to provide peer-based programmes which are aimed at providing skills to assist young men in navigating mental health issues.
50
touchstone | Vol 5 No 2 Summer 2017
“Having lost Kai, I will always wonder what I could have done differently and my only conclusion is that there is little else I could have done when Kai reached crisis point. I wish there had been some early intervention available before he reached that point of no return,” Kai’s mum, Claire, said. The Kai Eardley Fund produces quality merchandise available online and holds regular fundraising activities. Joey and Claire also added their support to CBC’s Mental Health Week initiative, helping current students to appreciate the impact of anxiety and depression on real people in the College community.
Above left: Cam, Claire and Joey Eardley. Above right: Joey and Kai at Cam’s 21st in 2014.