R U OK?

 
In the time it takes to have a coffee,
you can start a conversation
that could change a life.
(Gavin Larkin)

That’s the idea behind R U Ok? Day.
 (September 15th –
during Suicide Prevention Week)

R U Ok? Day is a national day
of action – hoping to prevent
suicides by encouraging people
to reach out and ask
the most simple of questions:
Are You ok?

More than 2 100 Australians suicide each year, with men four times more likely to end their lives than women. According to Lifeline, for every suicide, another 30 people attempt to take their own life.

The idea for this day came after
the suicide of Barry Larkin.
He was intelligent...
a successful businessman...
a father.

Years later, his son Gavin Larkin
began having suicidal thoughts.
He knew he had to do something.
Gavin Larkin was a very successful
advertising executive.
Three years ago,
he used his powerful contacts
to help him create R U Ok? Day.
He figured that the best way
to fight suicide and depression
was by having people step in
and check up on each other...
to talk...
to reach out.

R U Ok? Day was so successful
that it achieved more
in nine months than the
mental health sector had achieved
in nine years. (Barbara Hocking, SANE)

So far, it’s an inspiring story...
one man with a dream
to fix the world.
What really drew me to the
RUOk? Day story is that in July,
Gavin was given only weeks to live.
After the day was launched,
Gavin learned that he had
stage 4 lymphoma.
He was 41.
Even worse, weeks later,
his 11 year old son, Gus,
was diagnosed with
a brain tumour.
Gus’ condition is now stable.
Gavin continued to work
with RUOk? Day,
checking himself out of hospital
to attend the second-year
launch of the day.
This event started in 2009.
Already, social media is flooded
with the orange logo...
people are talking...
people are checking in...
asking “Are You OK?”
(Don Ritchie would be proud!)

Who are you going to reach out to?