Sophie Cooper

For Rebecca, and for me ❤️ I’m raising money for the Black Dog Institute in memory of my mum, Rebecca, but also for myself. Mum wasn’t a huge part of my life — she left it when I was only 8 years old. But the impact of losing her, and the circumstances surrounding her death, have followed me for my entire life. When I was 8 years old, Mum took her own life. She was struggling with something so enormous that, at the time, she couldn’t see another way through it. I’ve never been angry at her for leaving. I’ve always believed that she didn’t make that decision because she didn’t love us — she made it because she genuinely didn’t believe she had another choice. But the thing about suicide is that the pain doesn’t end when the person does. It gets handed around to everyone left behind. And Mum’s decision has had repercussions throughout so many lives, for so many years. It changed my life before I was even old enough to understand what had happened. Because of the trauma I experienced from losing Mum so young, and everything that came with it, I eventually ended up being diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder. It’s something that has affected my life in ways I never could have imagined as an 8-year-old. Some days I’m absolutely fine. Some days I’m a hot mess held together by caffeine, questionable humour and sheer determination. 😂 The truth is, I still hang on every day. But I’ve also been incredibly lucky. I’ve had people around me who have supported me, and I’ve had the financial means to access the help I’ve needed. Education, understanding, professional support and medication have made an enormous difference to my life. It hasn’t magically made everything easy — unfortunately there is no convenient little “delete trauma” button — but it has made life so much more manageable. And that’s why I’m raising money for the Black Dog Institute. Because nobody should have to reach the point where they believe there is no other option. I want to support the work being done to better understand mental illness, improve treatment, educate people and ultimately prevent other families from experiencing what mine has. If Mum had been given different tools, more understanding, better support or simply the knowledge that things could get better, maybe her story would have been different. I’ll never know. What I do know is that I’m still here. And I’m pretty bloody determined to stay that way. So this fundraiser is for Rebecca. It’s for me. It's for Adam It’s for everyone who has lost someone. And it’s for everyone who is quietly struggling and wondering how the hell they’re supposed to keep going. If you can donate, thank you. ❤️ If you can’t, sharing this is just as valuable. And if you’re someone who is struggling yourself, please know that asking for help isn't weakness — sometimes it’s the bravest thing you can do. Let’s raise some money, start some conversations and hopefully help make sure fewer families have to learn how to live with this kind of loss. For Mum. For me. For all of us. 🖤