This article is from page 18 of the 2012-07-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
CAROLNE and Mark Winder are living every parent’s worst nightmare. On June 3, shortly before midnight, their caring and charismatic 15-year-old son William died.
“He took his own life,” explained his heartbroken mother. “It was a moment of madness, that is what they say to us, but that doesn’t give us any answers,” added Dad Mark.
Now his brave parents, despite their harrowing grief, are fighting hard to prevent another family suffering the unbearable heartache and loss they face every day.
The Miltown Malbay couple, supported by their family and William’s many friends, are setting up the William Winder Rainbow Foundation, which will be a one-stop shop for teens in crisis and young people with any worries.
The foundation will provide a safe and confidential counselling service to teenagers, and provide support to families. Through the foundation, Caroline, along with her brother, Lee Brennan, will visit schools and explain to teenagers the impact William’s untimely death had on their lives. A trained counsellor will accompany the family to the schools to provide professional advice to teen- agers and answer any questions.
A wallet card with the details of all the support groups out there, including the William Winder Rainbow Foundation, will also be provided to students.
The foundation will make available a counsellor to any teenager who wants one, and can be arranged in confidence through the website or by calling the foundation.
“We want to make available a counsellor if a child needs one outside of the school environment so there is no one going, ‘Oh look, there’s Mary Jane going in for counselling, what can we tease her about’,” said Ms Winder.
“The counsellor is to be provided to the family also, if needed, to help bridge the gap between the adult population and the teenager,” explained Mr Brennan.
A blog and discussion forum overseen by a trained counsellor is also to be set up.
“William obviously didn’t know there was help out there. I want every other kid to know that, yes, there is help out there,” said Ms Winder.
“It can no longer be a taboo subject. There are kids out there hurting. The thought that William was going through whatever pain he was going through is heartbreaking. No parent should have to go through it. No child should have to go through what they are going through.”
“Me and Mark would be the first to say to parents: You say you know your child, we knew our child insideout. He just had that worry. The only worry we knew of was the exams and we truly believe that, three days before he had to sit his exams, it got too much,” added William’s courageous mother.
“We know children have been taking their lives for quite a while and we hear a lot about road deaths but no one talks about this. This is part of our society. If young people feel they no longer want to be part of our society, what is wrong? This is not just affecting the kids and their families, it is spreading out to the community and society,” added William’s uncle, Lee.
To help the community and teenagers who may need some support, the grieving family are putting the final touches to the William Winder Rainbow Foundation.
“We know our lad and the idea of the Rainbow Foundation…well, William would be in the thick of this,” said his father, Mark. “This is a starting point for something unique, but it is needed.”