A young man who has survived multiple suicide attempts is to carry a Baton of Hope in Belfast in a bid to inspire others to open up and reach out for help if they need it.
Ethan Redmond said he has been chosen for the charity initiative and will carry the baton on Friday June 30.
Baton of Hope is a UK charity which aims to open up conversations around better mental health and provisions for that, with the ultimate aim of reducing suicide statistics to zero.
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To that end, it has created a beautiful physical baton , designed and donated by the Thomas Lyte goldsmith and silversmith firm which served the late Queen Elizabeth II, to tour through UK locations including Belfast.
The baton will be carried through all parts of the city and stop at local suicide awareness charities and finish up at the Spire of Hope at St Anne's Cathedral for a moment of reflection.
For Ethan, the chance to take part was particularly meaningful given his own life experiences.
"I've attempted suicide quite a few times and really a lot of that has been linked to bullying and growing up as a young person in the care system," he said.
"That was something that was quite challenging as people were very quick to judge and attach labels to you and assume what they want to assume.
"So the biggest thing is just a lot of bullying and growing up having special needs too, it was quite challenging, really just life can be quite challenging and sometimes it's just about trying to navigate each day as it comes.
"Life can still be quite challenging too, but it's about just pushing and persevering and you'll get there."
He said he was delighted to have been chosen to take the baton on part of its route.
"It will do its leg in Belfast and two weeks later it will arrive in Downing Street and the whole aim is to shine a light on mental health and suicide prevention and the rising need for mental health services in Northern Ireland and elsewhere," he said.
"Being selected to carry the Baton of Hope on the Belfast leg of the UK tour is just such an honour.
"It's just so good to be out there talking about mental health and spreading the message that it's ok to reach out and say that you need support."
His tough life experiences have shaped Ethan's outlook and inspired his work as a mental health champion for the Papyrus charity, which aims to reduce suicides in people under the age of 35.
"It's scary sometimes when you maybe flick on the news or hear a story about a young person taking their own life so my main role is to try and reduce that," he said.
"Professionals as we know are under a stress and a lot of pressure but if we were to collectively ask young people what service they need or what would best work for them we can really help.
"A lot of the time, young people are just put in boxes and assumptions are made, so it's really trying to have a collaborative approach with professionals where it's a two way street.
"We're sadly a long way off but hopefully it will encourage other people to open up and talk about how they feel."
Mike McCarthy, co-founder of The Baton of Hope, said, the Baton of Hope was founded in memory and honour of his "beloved son Ross, who lost a long battle with depression and took his own life in 2021."
He said the charity's mission was a "commitment to spread a message that help is available to anyone that suffers with mental ill health, has suicidal thoughts, or is indeed bereaved by suicide; a commitment that there is hope".
He went on to say that Ethan had been chosen for his "remarkable" desire to help others.
"Ethan is a fierce proponent of a similar message through his various roles, including with one of our partner charities, PAPYRUS, for whom he is a Mental Health Champion," Mike said.
"From his own mental health challenges and being a suicide survivor, his willingness to help others is remarkable and we are delighted that he will be a Baton bearer in Belfast.
"His belief that everyone deserves to be happy in life resonates perfectly with our ultimate goal of a zero suicide society."
To find out more about the Baton of Hope journey, you can check the charity's website.
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