Aaron* kindly shares his family’s story and the reason for his incredible decision to leave a gift in his Will to Lifeline.
“I was always very close to my parents, they filled my life with so many wonderful experiences. Mum taught me how to play the piano and ride horses from a very young age. And we had a tennis court out the back – Mum loved tennis.
But in 1977, Dad died of a sudden heart attack. Everything changed after that.
Mum was different after Dad’s death. She became sad and incredibly lonely. She had some friends, but I don’t think she was comfortable talking to them about how she was feeling.
Two years after Dad died, Mum made her first attempt to end her life. Luckily, I was living with her at the time, so I found her before it was too late. She was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.
he told us later that she was relieved to have survived, so we hoped that was the end of it.
In 1982, Mum attempted to end her life again. This time, I wasn’t there to save her.
I know that it wasn’t my fault, but I carried the trauma of not being there for a very long time. It took over twenty years to come to terms with it.
I’m convinced that Mum would still be alive today if she’d been able to connect with a service like Lifeline.
That belief drove me to start donating to Lifeline many years ago. And more recently, it inspired me to leave a gift in my Will to help support future generations of people just like Mum when they need it most.
The process of leaving a gift in my Will was simple.
Obviously, there was a bit of back and forth with my wife while we worked out what we wanted to do. But once we’d made our decision, assigning proportions was easy. And it was a massive relief knowing that our wishes would be met without making life too difficult for our loved ones.
If there’s one thing I could say to anyone considering a gift in their Will to Lifeline, it would be just do it.
Having someone to reach out to is so important. By leaving a gift in your Will, you’ll be helping Lifeline be here for people seeking help long into the future. It’s such a worthy cause that really can have a huge impact.”
Lifeline is a national charity providing Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
Lifeline exists to ensure that no one in Australia faces their toughest moments alone, and believes that through connection, hope can be found.
This Include a Charity Week (1st – 7th September), Lifeline Australia is offering you the opportunity to write a free online Will with Gathered Here, with unlimited updates for life.
Gathered Here provides end-of-life services through probate, funerals and online Wills. Their in-house legal team of highly experienced Wills and estate lawyers has reviewed and vetted the Will writing process.
With their modern, flexible approach, you can start, complete, and update your bespoke Will anytime, anywhere. You’ll be able to appoint guardians for your children and pets, outline how you’d like your estate to be distributed, and leave gifts to charities that matter most to you.
Once you’ve taken care of your loved ones, leaving a gift to Lifeline Australia is a powerful way to help ensure that people in crisis can continue to find connection and hope for many years to come.
For more information, please contact our Gifts in Wills Manager, Abi Steiner, on 02 8099 1974, or email giftsinwill@lifeline.org.au.
If you or someone you know is feeling distressed or overwhelmed, Lifeline is here for you. For 24/7 crisis support, call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14, chat online at www.lifeline.org.au, or visit our Support Toolkit to help you self-manage what you’re going through.
*A chosen pseudonym, for the purpose of this article.
Image: Lifeline Australia
