The suicide of her son's friend kicked off a chain of events that eventually robbed Donna Anderson of her two boys, but the deaths also helped spark a major change for the better.
"Prior to the [deaths], accessing crisis care or support for mental health was very challenging," Ms Anderson said.
"It would take multiple calls to various providers to receive support. Many times, it could take weeks to receive an appointment before help could be available." A spate of youth suicides can rock a close-knit community and this type of tragic tale is not unique to Mandurah or the Peel region, with similar stories emerging across the country.
But while the pace of change is often frustratingly slow in the wake of such tragedy, the response in the Peel region was relatively swift.Following the deaths, the community rallied together to push for a rethink of how services in the region were delivered. It resulted in the $9 million Peel Health Hub , which houses nine services under the same roof including GPs, counselling and employment training programs.GP Down South spokeswoman Eleanor Britton, who was the driving force behind the PHH, said the system was previously fragmented and extremely difficult for young people to navigate.
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