Students behind suicide prevention project plead with people not to remove specially places teddys and messages
A GROUP of fifth year students in Mercy Secondary School students in Navan who placed teddy bears with lights and uplifting messages in strategic locations around the county as part of a suicide awareness project are pleading for people to leave these items in their locations to save lives with some reportedly stolen in recent days.
The LCVP (Leaving Cert Vocational Programme) class was Inspired by the heartfelt initiative of Wexford man Mick Ryan who lost his 22-year-old son, Sean Paul, to suicide in 2004.
Mick started a movement by placing teddy bears with small lights and uplifting messages in locations where people may feel hopeless, serving as a powerful reminder that there is always help and hope. The 5th year students have collaborated with him to continue this mission in Co Meath.
The teacher over the project Seán O'Neill said while the initiative has been a great success that they hope will help save lives they are appealing to the public not to remove them in order for their role to work.
“It has been great to see the level of engagement in the school and the local community, and we are very grateful to those who supported our GoFundMe page. So many staff and parents told us of their own stories that it made the project feel even more meaningful and significant.
“We put teddys, lamps and posters in Blackwater Park; two on the bridge by the fire station; one at the Ramparts and at Loreto Bridge; one at the Johnstown bridge near the Ardboyne; one in Meath County Council Offices; and one on the motorway flyer at Ardsallagh.
“A quick trip around the locations last week revealed two missing teddys and one missing lamp, all of which thankfully we were able to replace. While doing this, passersby expressed their disappointment at their removal and told us how they had spotted them while out with their dogs etc. Hopefully those that are in place now will get the opportunity to fulfil their intended role. We hope that once people understand this they will leave them in place.”
One of the students involved Silvia-Ana Simhas previously explained how the project began:
“As part of our portfolio we had to do an enterprise section and we wanted to do something to help the community. We had discussed a few different projects but our teacher, Mr O'Neill saw Mick Ryan's appeal and we all decided that we wanted to do something similar in Meath.
“Seeing it come together was amazing because we know how hard we worked for it and if it changes even one person's life we have done an amazing job.”