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Mother finds ‘purpose' in suicide awareness festival

BBC Sinead Gibson with blonde hair, wearing a black top, and sitting on the edge of a grey sofaBBC
Sinead Gibson opened the festival in memory of her daughter Diva

A mother whose daughter took her own life opened a festival to raise awareness of suicide and help her deal with a "lifetime loss".

Sinead Gibson's daughter, Diva, died during lockdown in 2020, aged 26.

“You have to have some purpose as it is unimaginable to lose your child to suicide,” Ms Gibson said.

The Every Little Thing festival, which includes workshops with the NHS, health charities and community groups, will take place on Sunday in Reading.

Sinead Gibson On the left, Ms Gibson with long blonde hair and a fringe, and her daughter, on the right, with sunglasses on the top of her head and dark brown hairSinead Gibson
Ms Gibson said she hoped the festival would hep to ensure "other people won’t make the same decision" as her daughter.

Diva was taken to hospital but by the time her mother arrived she had died.

“How can you imagine your world falling apart like that?" said Ms Gibson.

"There was nothing that could prepare me at all”.

Afterwards Ms Gibson said different friends and services had “different pieces of the puzzle” about Diva's mental health and wellbeing before she died.

“You just wished those puzzle pieces were put together earlier," she said.

Sinead Gibson Diva wearing a red top and sunglasses on her headSinead Gibson
Ms Gibson said nothing could have prepared her for the loss of her daughter

Ms Gibson said the festival, which is now in its second year, was a way of coping with her pain of losing her daughter, and to "look ahead to make sure other people won’t make the same decision".

“Things like this [the festival] are really important - to be able to make a difference because my daughter is not here, and she made the world a better place so anything I do [will] help fill that gap," she added.

“You need different coping mechanisms... as it is a lifetime loss”.

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