A WOMAN who told her harrowing story of her partner's suicide to parliamentarians has been inundated with messages from others in the same position.
Karen McKeown spoke at the Scottish Government's petitions committee on Thursday about her calls for a fatal accident inquiry and an overhaul of mental health services, following her partner Luke Henderson's death.
The couple had tried to get help on eight different occasions in the week leading up to Luke's death, before Karen found him hanging in their family home on December 29, 2017.
She launched a petition to the parliament earlier this year demanding action to ensure emergency mental health treatment is available consistently across Scotland for those who need it.
So far it has been signed by 880 people, and many more have reached out to Ms McKeown directly to share their stories of suicide.
She told the Herald on Sunday: "I've been inundated with people who have told me they have had similar experiences, and I feel that this petition is lifting the lid on the issue.
" I'm so glad people feel able to speak out about what they have been through and how their loved ones could have been helped better, because that is the only way we are going to stop more people from dying by suicide."
" I feel that by speaking in Parliament this week it was another step towards the end goal. We have a really long road ahead but I'm determined to see it through to the end, no matter what it takes.The repsonse I got made me feel as if finally pioliticians are listening. I will always have hope that something will change and all I can do is keep campaigning until that change happens."
- READ MORE: Calls for review after couple sought help eight times before North Lanarkshire man took his own life
The mum-of-two from Bellshill has been supported by her local MSP Monica Lennon in her fight for justice.
Ms Lennon said: "If the Scottish Government is serious about suicide prevention, Ministers will act on Karen McKeown’s compelling evidence and initiate a national review of mental health services.
“Luke Henderson’s death was preventable and his children have lost a father. I’ll never forget the email I received from Karen seeking help hours after Luke completed suicide and I don’t want any other family to experience the barriers they faced, in Lanarkshire or anywhere else in Scotland.
“The Public Petitions Committee has taken this seriously and now the Scottish Government should act.”
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