weekender the western
Printed on 100% recycled paper
FRI 27 JUN 2014 • Issue 1159
Jamo Park upgrade
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT
Business Advice, tips and profiles on the best local businesses p.30-31
Speak up, reach out One local resident’s desperate plea to stop preventable deaths CASSANDRA O’CONNOR
New gym, play areas and more p.38
Our Junior Council p.5
Hit and run incident Police on the hunt for driver of silver car p.11
@cassandra_o
J
essica Harris has known more grief in her lifetime than most of us. The 22-year-old Penrith resident has lost not one but both her parents and their deaths were entirely preventable. Both of Mrs Harris’s parents, mum Star Delaney and dad Shane Naylor, took their own lives. Incredibly, Mrs Harris has drawn strength from her loss and is now campaigning for better mental health support in the community. She says it is hard to speak out because the grieving process takes time, however, she doesn’t want anyone else in the community to experience the loss that she has battled with. “It has taken me a long time to build up the courage to speak about it, I needed time to grieve,” Mrs Harris said. “I am lucky that I have wonderful people in my life to support me. But there was not enough support offered to my parents, especially my dad who tried to reach out for assistance. “I want to see mental health elevated as an issue we can talk about. If my dad had talked about his problems, this may never have happened. “Both their deaths were completely preventable, but mental health and suicide is so taboo, everyone is too afraid to talk about them.” Mrs Harris said that she was not incredibly close to her mother as her parents divorced when she was very young. But there was a knock on the door in March 2010 that Mrs Harris will never forget. Story continues on » p. 18
Jessica Harris has started a brave campaign on mental health. Photo: Melinda Jane
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