Breaking the silence
The loss of a child is always heartbreaking. Get It journalist, Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge sat down with Durban mother Glynis Horning, who wants to break the silence of the taboo S word.
GLYNIS Horning and her husband Chris woke up on September 15, 2019 to discover their eldest son, 25-year-old Spencer, dead in his bed. It is, without a doubt, one of the most painful losses a parent could possibly endure.
In the weeks after, surrounded by loving family and friends, Glynis began to piece together the puzzle of his death. And although she will never be free from the pain, Glynis, an award winning mental health journalist, has been bold enough to share her grieving process in Waterboy – Making Sense of My Son’s Suicide, hoping her story will bring comfort to other mothers who have had to bury their children.
“Losing Spence was a tremendous shock, and it brought to my mind the need for more education about mental illness, especially the stigma associated with it.
“The South African Depression and Anxiety Group estimates there are 23 suicides a day, and 230 attempts, in the country. As I wrestled with the pain of loss, I was deeply moved as friends, colleagues and professional contacts of all ages and ethnicities reached out and confided about losing loved ones this way, or themselves contemplating suicide.
“Stigma and convention prevented them speaking before, often even in their families, so they nursed it in private agony. I wanted to help break the silence – to get people speaking the taboo S word, sharing and reaching out for the help that’s out there. If this book can help one person avoid suicide, or bring new understanding to those who have lost someone, it will have achieved its goal.”
Waterboy is raw. It will touch anyone who has directly or indirectly experienced this ultimate heartbreak. Glynis’ wisdom and insight are extraordinary, as she tracks the harrowing journey from Spencer’s first few days to his farewell attended by his childhood buddies and the unwavering support of her three best friends – her trilogy as she affectionately calls them.
To read the full article, click here – Breaking the silence
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At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
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