Terminally ill 16-year-old takes his anti-suicide campaign to RTE

Allyall

He passed away it seems.. RIP.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/tribute-to-antisuicide-campaigner-29262803.html

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/inspirational-teen-walsh-passes-away-594191.html

EDIT, Just noticed it's been said. Leaving links anyway.
RIP. Just reading all through it now. Very sad.

RossFixxxed

RIP, misguided points from the guy, but his courage in the face of that is to be admired. My sympathies to his family, friends and loved ones. It's very sad. Ideally we could debate this whole thing with him for the next 20 years but he's been robbed of his life way too young.

Galwayguy35

RIP

I can't imagine what it's like knowing that you are going to die at 16, he showed remarkable courage during his final months.

123balltv

RIP so sad only 16 many sympathies to his family at the end of the day
its only the family who suffer friends come and go.

But depression is a horrible illness I have it cancer sufferers can get legs,
organs,breasts removed but you cannot get your head removed its a very dark, drepessing illness.

Dave147

Mental illness is not terminal, life threatening, most definitely.

OCorcrainn

The boy just died and despite that you people are still rambling on and criticizing the boy over the comments he made that you did not like from a TV show back from nearly two months ago.

STFU already.

Turtwig

OCorcrainn wrote: »

The boy just died and despite that you people are still rambling on and criticizing the boy over the comments he made that you did not like from a TV show back from nearly two months ago.

STFU already.

If you read back on the thread it was bumped to remind people of his tragic passing. He spoke out in public. That's regrettable but when you speak publicly on health issues people do have to talk about them - and that's what you're seeing here. If you want to complain or give out to anyone blame the folks at RTE who thought it would be a good idea to give him a pulpit.

expectationlost

OCorcrainn wrote: »

The boy just died and despite that you people are still rambling on and criticizing the boy over the comments he made that you did not like from a TV show back from nearly two months ago.

STFU already.

this is why http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/minister-admits-antisuicide-campaigner-donal-had-more-impact-than-any-politician-29262344.html
Minister admits anti-suicide campaigner Donal had ‘more impact than any politician’

this is (jr) minister at our department of health, talking brainless bollox, would she STFU

orestes

RIP, horrible to see someone so young pass away from such a horrible illness.

I don't agree with what he said, I think he was trying to get a good message out there but he was just too young to understand what he was talking about, which just adds to the tragedy of the whole thing on every level. It's the people who put him on tv that I have an issue with.

Dude111

Very very sad



Poor boy.....

Galwayguy35

Jernal wrote: »

If you read back on the thread it was bumped to remind people of his tragic passing. He spoke out in public. That's regrettable but when you speak publicly on health issues people do have to talk about them - and that's what you're seeing here. If you want to complain or give out to anyone blame the folks at RTE who thought it would be a good idea to give him a pulpit.

He isn't here to defend himself anymore though is he?

HondaSami

I admired his courage dealing with his illness at such a young age but personally do not agree with his appearance on TV. I know himself and his family did it for all the right reasons but he had enough to deal with coping with his own illness without adding to it.
RIP to him.

Dr Nic

RIP. Very unfair to see a lad like this pass away so young. Just makes you think about what youre doing and where youre going in life...

To answer some comments with what is considered medical fact (see DSM iV)
Mental illness absolutely is as real as cancer.
Cancer is a heterogenous group of 1000s of diseases all almost totally unrelated with a spectrum of prognosis as diverse.
Some cancers are terminal, some mental illnesses are also.
There are mental illness that kill quickly and are recognised as very lethal diseases

If a doctor said what this lad said, he would close on lose his job. Its counterproductive but very understandeable

SusieBlue

Heartbroken for him and his family. Too young to have gone through so much pain and suffering...Rest In Peace Donal x

RossFixxxed

We can still comment on what he said on TV as it is getting huge coverage, and has some important factors in the debate on mental health and whether RTE should have given him a soap box to stand on. It is a very worthwhile conversation he has opened up. We are also passing on condolonces.

We're debating the points, not having a go, or being crass after the poor young man died.

Mental health in this country needs sorting out. It's a total disaster. As many have said you can't turn on the TV for road safety warnings that are proven to be ineffective, but more commit suicide every year than die on the roads. These conversations, no matter how unpleasant or how they arise need to be had. This kid has opened the whole thing in a very dramatic way so lets keep mental health on people's minds!

Dravokivich

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

He isn't here to defend himself anymore though is he?

Its not a matter of defending himself. People shouldn't be in too much of a rush to make a martyr of the kid. He was in no position to speak about what he did, without the knowledge about what he was speaking of. People are catching on too much about what he said, without thinking about what it means. The issue isn't with him.

RossFixxxed

Dravokivich wrote: »

Its not a matter of defending himself. People shouldn't be in too much of a rush to make a martyr of the kid. He was in no position to speak about what he did, without the knowledge about what he was speaking of. People are catching on too much about what he said, without thinking about what it means. The issue isn't with him.

Agree with this. The point being that he raised a lot of important points for DISCUSSION. We're disagreeing with what he said as part of a larger debate, not attacking him himself. If anything, the real issue we have is with the media making him out to be a superhero.

krudler

OCorcrainn wrote: »

The boy just died and despite that you people are still rambling on and criticizing the boy over the comments he made that you did not like from a TV show back from nearly two months ago.

STFU already.

and many feel it was wrong to be given the platform he was to say what he did, his passing away doesn't change that. Nobodies denying its extremely sad someone had their life cut so short, but that doesn't give anyone the right to go on television and basically tell people "cop on I have it worse than you".

Brian_Zeluz

I fully respect Donal for having the conviction for standing up and telling the world what he thinks is wrong however in much the same way I cannot have understood his situation I feel it was naive of him to criticise someone in the situation where they want to kill themselves. It is obvious that he was not attempting to be anything other than helpful but for me (opinion) there was a subtle I'm worse off so stop whining element which simply does not get through to someone with a self destructive mindset. Nonetheless a life extinguished so young is a tragedy, RIP.

SusieBlue

krudler wrote: »

and many feel it was wrong to be given the platform he was to say what he did, his passing away doesn't change that. Nobodies denying its extremely sad someone had their life cut so short, but that doesn't give anyone the right to go on television and basically tell people "cop on I have it worse than you".

I don't think he meant "cop on I have it worse than you" at all. He was very humble and didn't want pity or people feeling sorry for him.

The general impression I got from that interview was that he wanted raise awareness, show people that ending it isn't always the answer, and to ask for help. He was pleading with people to think twice before doing it, to consider their family and friends etc.

He said he was angry that people were ending their lives when he had no say in the matter for his own, which frankly, imo, is an understandable reaction from a 16 year old. Doesn't make it right but I'm a lot older than 16 and I imagine if I was given the kind of news he was I'd be angry with the world too.

This is coming from someone whose had 2 members of my immediate family end their lives.

I completely understand the message he was trying to get across.

IvyTheTerrible

I don't particularly agree with what this unfortunate young man said about suicide but he was entitled to his opinion.

However, my brother killed himself a few years ago and I am finding some of the comments friends of mine are making in relation to his comments particularly hurtful, considering as they were full of supposed sympathy at the time of his death. It seems that the truth about what some people really think about suicide is coming out now.

krudler

WhiteRoses wrote: »

I don't think he meant "cop on I have it worse than you" at all. He was very humble and didn't want pity or people feeling sorry for him.

The general impression I got from that interview was that he wanted raise awareness, show people that ending it isn't always the answer, and to ask for help. He was pleading with people to think twice before doing it, to consider their family and friends etc.

He said he was angry that people were ending their lives when he had no say in the matter for his own, which frankly, imo, is an understandable reaction from a 16 year old. Doesn't make it right but I'm a lot older than 16 and I imagine if I was given the kind of news he was I'd be angry with the world too.

This is coming from someone whose had 2 members of my immediate family end their lives.

I completely understand the message he was trying to get across.

Yeah but he did say "they think they have problems" as if to say anything affecting mental health is easily dealt with, which it isn't ,that's the point.

Nobody with depression of mental issues is going to suddenly think "ah sure what am I complaining about" because a 16 year old told them he was worse off than them, illness isn't a competition. It's not something you just snap out of. Yes there's help around, but stigmatising people with mental issues even more by telling them "it could be worse" is exactly why it's such an issue in this country at the moment.

SusieBlue

krudler wrote: »

Yeah but he did say "they think they have problems" as if to say anything affecting mental health is easily dealt with, which it isn't ,that's the point.

Nobody with depression of mental issues is going to suddenly think "ah sure what am I complaining about" because a 16 year old told them he was worse off than them, illness isn't a competition. It's not something you just snap out of. Yes there's help around, but stigmatising people with mental issues even more by telling them "it could be worse" is exactly why it's such an issue in this country at the moment.

Well what I took from that was "they think they have problems they can't solve and killing themselves is the only option", rather than "they think they have problems, look at me, I have it way worse".

I don't think he was trying to be a martyr, I don't think he was trying to imply that he was worse off than someone suffering with mental health issues. I think he was trying to raise awareness for people to seek help if they're having problems rather than suffering alone.

Just shows how people perceive things differently, I got something totally different to what he said to what you took from it.

_Whimsical_

krudler wrote: »

Yeah but he did say "they think they have problems" as if to say anything affecting mental health is easily dealt with, which it isn't ,that's the point.

.

He said it about young teenagers, not about mentally ill people. If you watch his interview on tv he did make that distinction.

The truth is that SOME teenage lives are ended over bullying, over loss of friendship,over not fitting in in school, over not measuring up to a social or physical ideal.Those things can cause real despair and even depression but are issues that can be looked at, dealt with,put into perspective and that 5 years later would not be dominating that persons life if they'd just sought the help they needed and just hung on. I'm not saying teenage despair doesn't count, it's often more accute than adult despair because a teenager doesn't always have the personal resources,maturity or experience to deal with it. It's not worth ending what may well have been a wonderful future life free of any mental illness over. Teenagers need to hear that message. I think this boy was brave to send it.

Fighting Irish

Lads calm down, he was a 16 year old who was trying to help the best way he could and with the information he had

OCorcrainn

Fighting Irish wrote: »

Lads calm down, he was a 16 year old who was trying to help the best way he could and with the information he had

Some people here very much like to turn something positive, like Dónal's message, into something negative. This is like the online version of Joe Duffy for people to vent.

Pappa Charlie

R.I.P Donal

StewartGriffin

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

He said it about young teenagers, not about mentally ill people. If you watch his interview on tv he did make that distinction.

The truth is that SOME teenage lives are ended over bullying, over loss of friendship,over not fitting in in school, over not measuring up to a social or physical ideal.Those things can cause real despair and even depression but are issues that can be looked at, dealt with,put into perspective and that 5 years later would not be dominating that persons life if they'd just sought the help they needed and just hung on. I'm not saying teenage despair doesn't count, it's often more accute than adult despair because a teenager doesn't always have the personal resources,maturity or experience to deal with it. It's not worth ending what may well have been a wonderful future life free of any mental illness over. Teenagers need to hear that message. I think this boy was brave to send it.

These are good points. Not all suicides are caused by a clinical depression.

PopePalpatine

OCorcrainn wrote: »

Some people here very much like to turn something positive, like Dónal's message, into something negative. This is like the online version of Joe Duffy for people to vent.

Mainly because his message is NOT what a depressed/suicidal person needs to hear. It's pretty much like slapping them in the face and telling them to "man up" or else they'll slap them again.

Czarcasm

PopePalpatine wrote: »

Mainly because his message is NOT what a depressed/suicidal person needs to hear. It's pretty much like slapping them in the face and telling them to "man up" or else they'll slap them again.

I resisted so far the urge to post in this thread again, and no offence PP, but I for one would appreciate if you spoke for yourself on that one.