POWER OF A LIFESAVING LETTER

AFTER A NOTE GAVE JAZZ THORNTON A REASON TO LIVE, SHE IS HELPING OTHERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH

- Kylie Walters

Jazz Thornton knows that a letter can be so much more than just a piece of paper. It was a series of handwritten notes that gave her something to live for, five years ago, when she wound up in hospital following her 14th suicide attempt.

"It was the darkest time in my life when a friend gave me a bunch of letters in sealed envelopes," the 27-year-old tells WHO. "On the front were instructions to open each one at a different time, like when I felt unlovable, like a burden, or suicidal. I clung onto that letter like my life depended on it because some days it did," she explains.

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and bullying, Thornton's had ongoing issues with her mental health. She was eventually left "homeless, jobless and hopeless” until her letters gave her a reason to "start fighting to live".

"It showed me there was actually someone who cared whether I was around or not,” Thornton explains.

Now, her life is unrecognizable from the one she lived just a decade ago. With professional help, Thornton has gone from a depressed and suicidal teen to a thriving award-winning filmmaker who has spoken at the United Nations.