Danny's LEGACY

How one mother's grief has created a special new role to help improve mental health care...

- SERENA SHORES

Sue Willgoss from Lowestoft, Suffolk, has been touched by autism more than most. As the wife of an autistic man and mother to four autistic boys, she has also been impacted by the loss of a child to suicide. Sue became a determined to improve mental health care when Daniel passed on June 17, 2018 aged 25, leaving his whole family bereft.

On the day Danny died, Sue made a promise. "The words I said to my son that day will remain with me forever and are the driving force behind everything I do: 'I promise you Danny, I will make change happen, something positive must come from your death'."

Tragically Sue knew he would take his own life. So many times she'd received a text from him saying, "Mum, I've gone too far" and was able to call an ambulance. Sue made it her mission to raise awareness of the risk of suicide in autistic people, which is nine times higher than the norm, and to question the part the mental health services played. The permanent role of Advisor For Suicide Prevention With Lived Experience for the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust was specially created for her.