Grieving parents demand urgent steps to tackle the scourge of youth suicide

GRIEVING parents yesterday demanded immediate action to tackle the epidemic of youth suicide, warning that any delay will cost more lives.

- BY GEMMA RYDER

The call came after Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth met three dads who each lost a daughter to suicide.

Mike Palmer, Andy Airey and Tim Owen are backing the Daily Record campaign Save Young Lives, which was launched this week.

The trio successfully fought for suicide prevention training to be delivered in English schools and are now calling for classrooms north of the border to follow suit.

Campaigner Susan Hart, who lost her 16-year-old son Jordan to suicide, told the Record the minister must make sure her actions speak louder than words.

The 54-year-old said: "It's a huge step forward that the government has met these three dads but I hope it's clear that this mental health training in schools is needed now.

"This is a national emergency and Jenny Gilruth should take action directly after the meeting to move quickly.

"We can't still be waiting five years down the line.

"If that happens, we will lose far too many more young people."

Susan's son Jordan died in 2020, just days before his 17th birthday.

He dreamt of joining the RAF and becoming a personal trainer.

But his loved ones have been left heartbroken knowing those were dreams they will never get to see him achieve.

The mum, from Blairgowrie, Perthshire, is now calling for Gilruth to meet families affected by youth suicide.

She added: "She needs to see the nightmare we are living with every day. She needs to see the pain we feel knowing we will never see or hold our children again. She needs to understand that we need help to try to prevent other families from having to go through this."