A FIREFIGHTER who suffered the trauma of losing a family member to suicide wants to use his experience to inspire others to seek support.
Crew Commander Marc McGarrity (34) is based at Port Glasgow Community Fire Station and has protected the communities of Inverclyde for more than a decade as both an on-call and full-time firefighter.
The nature of his role has meant Marc, who lives in Port Glasgow with his fiancée Nicole and children Rory and Wren, has always had an understanding of mental wellbeing and supporting others.
But it was the sudden and unexpected loss of his brother-in-law, Robert, which brought home the importance of mental health to Marc.
Robert lost his life to suicide last November. The 27-year-old had struggled on and off with his mental health, but was a doting dad to daughter Jennifer and close friend to Marc and others.
His passing has left Marc determined to use Robert’s memory to help others. He said: “Robert and I were very close. I’m an only child and a few years older than my wife and Robert. I felt like the big brother almost.
“I always tried to give guidance and help Robert the best I could. He was the kind of person who would help anyone and was a fantastic dad to Jennifer. His whole life revolved around her and he’d do anything for her.”
Robert discussed his mental health before he died, but no one understood the weight of his struggles or that he was at risk.
Marc shared his story on World Suicide Prevention Day to help break down the stigma that still prevents people from speaking openly about mental health and asking for support.
Marc said: “Robert had spoken about his mental health, but I didn’t think things were anywhere near that scale. It’s my biggest regret. I feel I should have done more and reached out more; that thought goes through my head.
“I think men still struggle to show their vulnerable side and think showing emotion is a weakness. But suicide does not discriminate. It does not discriminate against age, background, or income. It can happen to anyone.”
Marc has received support from his colleagues, including his station commander, and from suicide prevention charity Papyrus which works to support young people and to raise awareness of young people’s mental health.
Marc said: “The SFRS has been great with me. My station commander has given me any support I’ve needed and I’m very grateful. My watch has also been fantastic. I’ve had lots of support.
“I’ve known about the work of Papyrus for a while. They’re the biggest charity in the UK dedicated to raising awareness of suicide prevention in young people. I’ve met with one of the charity’s development officers and hopefully we can do something together to help raise awareness.
“I want to do something to help because no one should go through this. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I want to raise awareness and, if I can save one life, then that’s a big thing.”
