TEENA Conway was still pounding the pavements of Albury last month circulating petitions in support of a headspace for the Border.
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It’s the determined grassroots action of people like the mother of Zac, who took his life at just 15, that have helped secure a mental health facility that could save the lives of other young people at risk.
“It proves the little people can make a difference if we all just have a go,” Ms Conway said last night.
“It makes it all worth it, the fighting, the pushing, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“It’s sort of a legacy for those who have already gone. Together we have made it happen.”
Ms Conway is convinced headspace can save lives.
She said she was fielding calls and questions every week from family, friends and even just people who had heard her story seeking help and support.
And in the case of her beloved son, Ms Conway believes a headspace centre would have made all the difference between a life lived and a life lost.
“I think he would still be here, for sure,” she said.
“(And) because I don’t want anyone else to do what Zac did or anyone else’s family to go through what we went through and what we have to live with every day.”
Ms Conway, who is studying an online community services course, would dearly love to one day work at the Albury-Wodonga headspace.
In the meantime she won’t have to walk Albury’s streets with her petitions any more — that bit’s been done. Now she will redirect her energies into helping the youth who can still be saved.
