Irish influencer Louise Cooney said she wants to use her huge online platform for good as she reaches a new decade online.
The social media influencer turned businesswoman, who boasts over 220,000 followers on Instagram alone, has been making her name on the internet for the best part of a decade.
And as her online reach continues to grow and so does she, the Limerick native, 30, is eager to use her following to the advantage of others who need it.
She told the Irish Daily Mirror: “I've been doing it now for eight or nine years and I've grown and changed like everyone does. And there have been different things that have happened over the years that makes me think what is important, what can I do and what do I want to do, and what do I want to be a part of and stand for, and yeah, I try to bear those things in mind.
“Especially this time of year.”
Louise, who is a Pieta ambassador, went on: “I think I'm in such a lucky position that I can do something to help.
“It is such an important charity.”
The social media personality has previously opened up about losing her cousin Nicky to suicide, aged 20, in August 2019 and told that her heartbroken family will never get over it.
The tragedy struck just weeks before the Irish influencer was due to move to New York, and Louise admits she had a hard time coping whilst she was so far away from home.
She told Irish Daily Mirror: “The thing for me was so much time had gone into it, and I left a month later and it felt like I was leaving in the middle of everybody dealing with it.
“So I definitely felt a lot of guilt and I tried to stay in touch as much as I could and maybe that made it very hard for me there as well.”
“It is just something that we will never get over as a family. It is devastating, every family event we have, everything, you know you just think of the family everytime.”
The social media star has been an ambassador for Pieta, the national suicide prevention charity for the past three years and said has told how talking has helped her cope with her loss.
“100%. I think it is a hard topic to talk about, and it is hard to get information all the time to know what to do if you know someone or if you have a family member going through something like that, so Pieta’s services are really really helpful like that.
“They just offer such a great support to people and it is so important, you know.”
The entrepreneur, who runs her own activewear line, Cloo, as well as her wine spritzer ‘67 Spritz’ is hoping she can help others also find comfort in talking too by asking them to join them in their campaign this year to combat loneliness at Christmas.
She said: “This year’s campaign is actually about shining a light on how people actually feel lonely, and feel isolated, when most of us are really enjoying Christmas time. So it is important to bear in mind those people that might need help and bear in mind that Pieta needs our help for funding.
“And even just to be there sharing the conversation.
“We’re encouraging everyone this Thursday to light a candle on your window for anyone who is struggling or anyone you know who is affected by their mental health. Even if it is a friend of a friend, just give them that thought, because it is a real illness that huge devastating impacts on people’s lives and on families.
“So we are just trying to get the word out to remind people to talk about it, i think we are good but to remind people around this time of year.”
Pieta is encouraging the nation to choose #HopeOverSilence this Christmas as the number of people reaching out to the national suicide prevention charity this December is set to rise by 15%, exceeding 10,000 calls and texts.
It’s also expected that 324 people will reach out to the crisis helpline on Christmas Day as they struggle with their own mental health or seek help in dealing with the loss of a loved one through suicide.
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