This article is from page 8 of the 2013-08-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
THE foster mother of a man found dead in Ennis last week has encouraged young people experiencing mental health difficulties to talk about their problems.
Tina Whelan, whose foster son Seamus Higgins went missing in Ennis earlier this month, says there needs to be a more open discussion on the issue of mental health among teenagers and young people.
Seamus was last seen jumping a wall at the rear of the Dun Na hInse housing estate on Saturday, August 10. His disappearance sparked a huge four-day search of rivers and other areas of Ennis. Seamus’ body was discovered by Civil Defence divers in the Claureen River on the afternoon of Thursday, August 15.
He had recently travelled from Southampton to Ennis for a holiday. Speaking yesterday, Ms Whelan said, “My plea to anyone who might be experiencing problems, would be to talk about it, just come out with the words ‘help me’. People don’t see the red flags until it’s too late. Young people just need to say the words help me. It’s only two words but it’s very powerful.”
Ms Whelan, who has been involved in fostering children for almost a decade, says there is a need in Ennis for a form of transitional housing for foster children when they turn 18.
She explained, “Kids end up in foster care through no fault of their own. They go through a stable fostering and then they have to go out on their own. Many of them go into apartments. They are vulnerable and they can’t really cope. I have seen it happen.
“Clarecare have an aftercare service and they do fantastic work. They really do. But I think there is a need for some sort of transitional housing. You have them in cities where they [kids] rent the rooms, pay for electricity, television. They have to budg- et. I think there are definitely places in Ennis that could be used. There is a project in Cork called Foyer that is really good.”
Tributes to the late Seamus Higgins have poured into a special Facebook page. Ms Whelan described him as a “beautiful true soul”.
She wrote, “I think this is the first day I’ve had time to think, I’m not sure where to start thanking people, but thank you to every single person who sent messages, cards, called to the house, made sandwiches, cooked food, sent flowers, stopped me on the street. I always knew I had the best family and friends and I will never be able to thank them enough.”