The faces of suicide

Alex Reichman could have been a successful builder by now. His mum says her outgoing son could have been anything he wanted. 

But for reasons still unknown to mum Leanne Bradley – the 21-year-old apprentice carpenter took his own life without any warning on December 16, 2012. 

Leanne is determined to make sure Alex’s legacy lives on and no family has to live the “life sentence” she faces every day. Alex’s face will be stitched in the Survivors of Suicide memory quilt. 

“We want to make it personal,”  founder Kristy Steenhuis said.

When Alex left his mates at a pub on December 16, they expected to see him again.

On the Monday, when Alex wasn’t answering his phone Leanne wasn’t worried at all. Then she heard the worst. Alex was dead. 

“There was not a single clue. That day we had discussed what he  wanted for Christmas,” Leanne said.

“He was outgoing, he liked to hang with his mates.”

More than 35 years ago Leanne’s husband Christopher took his life. The silence following his death compounded Leanne’s overwhelming grief. No one spoke about it and Leanne was left with a sense of shame. She is unsure if this experience prompted her to be open about Alex’s death. But, she has never once been ashamed and is now pleading for the community to end its silence on suicide. SOS has found it difficult to find people willing to participate in the quilt. But Leanne is calling on families not to be ashamed. 

“I don’t want to be ashamed. I’ve never once felt shame because of the way he died. I just want him remembered,” Leanne said.

For two years after Alex’s death Leanne was a wreck. A group of tight-knit friends stuck by her. Leanne doesn’t attend support groups but she marches in the Out of the Shadows walk and lays a wreathe on White Wreathe day to raise awareness.

“If you could stop one other family’s pain, if you can just help one person – it’s worth it,” Leanne said.

“Because it’s a life sentence. You never ever get over it, you just learn to control it a bit more.”