Alison’s Story

I am a 49 year old man, serving 21 years in the Defence Force. But it all started back when I was a teenager and followed me through my life.

At the age of 13, I started drinking to run away from my pain. I found out the hard way that drinking and suicide ideation don’t mix and ended up in rehab at age 22. I have been sober ever since.

In about 2010, my thoughts started turning back towards ending my life. I found myself going through a life changing and traumatising accident. This left me thinking about ending my life, once again. I knew a part of myself didn’t come back with me and knew I was going to be a danger to myself, so I asked for help.

My life had changed forever. I lost count of how many times I tried to take my life and I wasn’t able to work again. We moved to Perth (where my family live) so I could have support. I called someone every morning to say I was alive. Sometimes they would call me if I hadn’t made the call, even though sometimes it was as simple as me not being able to find my phone.

Suicide ideation wasn’t all I was dealing with. I had severe anxiety, I couldn’t speak more than three words without stuttering and I had the shakes so bad I had to think really hard to make it stop. I have depression and PTSD, memory loss, and even a little brain damage. I felt like I was a prisoner in my own world – I didn’t see a way out of my situation, so my thoughts kept coming back to taking my own life.

Through time, and with a lot of hard work, I was able to slowly re-enter the world. I started to think: ‘I am walking forward’. I even felt the need to help other Veterans. If I can walk forward, so can they. Sometimes I felt my efforts fell on deaf ears, so I would lose hope again. Time and time again, I had to find new paths to follow.

I found myself working in my garden and listening to music, and I started to write poetry. These things were so helpful, and writing poetry was new for me. I didn’t know I could do it. But I did know, it was time to turn things around again.

With the right support, my life was taking a new turn – from always thinking about taking my life, to being well enough to talk to others about where I had come from to where I am now. I was slowly growing and my mindset was changing. I was thinking ‘I CAN do this,’ and it had been a long time since I thought that.

From a scared and broken child in a man’s body to a man with hope, I was slowly able to reconnect to society. I was pushing my personnel boundaries into new territories.

Yes I have PTSD, and yes I have other mental ailments, yet I am not waiting at home for them to run my life. Now, I have learnt the self-care skills it takes to keep me well.

“Remember, from darkness comes beauty.”

Rosanna Leo is the Western Australian finalist for Lifeline’s Mary Parsissons Outstanding Volunteer Award.

The award recognises the outstanding effort of volunteers across the country who have contributed to the community, have been an inspiration within their centre and shown leadership.

Rosanna has been a dedicated Telephone Crisis supporter with Lifeline WA since 2012 and was nominated for excellence in the volunteer field, leadership and for making an inspirational contribution to the community.

Having previously worked in education and small business, Rosanna currently works with people living with a disability, bringing what she’s learnt throughout her life to her role at Lifeline WA. Rosanna’s drive to continually learn and improve her knowledge in both her personal and professional life, is evident with every person she helps, on and off the phones.

Rosanna is inspired by the tenacity of people in crisis, as well as the kindness, compassion, and professionalism of her colleagues.

“We have a very inspirational volunteering environment of mutual respect and growth, individually and collectively.”

“Nothing yet beats being part of a team dedicated to offering a safe space for people in crisis to turn to and be deeply heard and responded to, no matter who they are, when they call or whatever their circumstance.”

We are proud to have Rosanna as part of the Lifeline WA team.

Georgia Ongarezos is the youngest person to complete a solo crossing from Rottnest Island in the dark of night, achieving the feat in late 2020 and raising more than $13,000 for Lifeline WA in the process.

The accomplished swimmer was motivated to support Lifeline WA by her own struggle with depression, which had seen her stop training entirely.

Recognising how many of her peers were fighting the same darkness, she conceived the idea of the night swim to help shine a light on the importance of mental health.

“I counted 22 people I know that have a mental illness or are suffering as a consequence of loved ones with mental illnesses and this broke my heart,” Georgia says.

“I decided to swim in the darkness from Rottnest to Perth to inspire those who are struggling at the moment and feel like they are in darkness.”

For Georgia, Lifeline WA’s importance is in the lifeboat it represents for people lost in the currents of mental health issues.

“It gives me such peace of mind to know that if any of the people I love are struggling and reach out to Lifeline for help, their lives are more likely to be saved,” she says.

Even up to the night of the swim, Georgia was in a depressive state behind the smile she presented to the world.

“I didn’t realise that the tunnel I was in was still extremely dark and to be honest I hadn’t found the light yet,” she recalls.

But coming ashore at Cottesloe Beach as dawn broke was a turning point for her mental health, and she has a message for others who are struggling.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel, and you can get there if you believe in yourself,” she says.

Since completing the swim, Georgia has continued to fundraise and advocate for Lifeline WA in the community.