Passing On Peace Kelvin's Key To Hope

The Medium Is Helping A Charity Close To His Heart

- Donna Fleming

In his line of work, medium Kelvin Cruickshank has met many hundreds of people living with the pain of losing a loved one to suicide.

The former Sensing Murder star regularly tours the country doing shows in which he connects people with loved ones who’ve passed away, and says it’s rare for an event not to include at least one reading with an audience member grieving someone who has taken their own life. Some nights, there are numerous suicide readings.

“I see so many people who are broken by losing friends and family members this way, and it saddens me so much,“ says Kelvin (47), who has himself had a close friend take their own life. “It’s very close to home for so many New Zealanders, including me.”

Last year the country’s suicide rate was the highest since records began, with 668 people taking their own lives. We have the highest youth suicide rate in the developed world, and that’s horrific, says Kelvin.

“These days you hear about 12 and 13-year-olds taking their lives, and you’re shocked by that. Then recently, I heard about a nine-year-old girl who did it. Nine! When I heard about that case, I sat there with tears streaming down my face thinking, ‘What the hell is this world coming to?’”